ON THIS DATE: From the Prologue to Ohrid/Ochrid

An online Synaxaristes including martyrologies and hagiographies of the lives of the Orthodox Church's saints. All Forum Rules apply. No polemics. No heated discussions. No name-calling.
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Quick Note!

Post by 尼古拉前执事 »

Quick note: In only 13 days we will have posted the entire year's prologue. (I believe a few days are missing but if anyone finds those I will edit the post for the day before to enter them in as well. Thank you to all that helped me with this daily project of posting the Prologue to the Ochris/Ohrid at least 1 day in advance to help give us all spiritually profitable reading for each and every day!

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March10/ 23

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March 10

1. THE HOLY MARTYR CODRATUS OF CORINTH AND OTHERS WITH HIM

During the time of the persecution of Christians, many of the faithful fled to the mountains and into the caves. So did the mother of Codratus. She was pregnant at the time and gave birth to Codratus in the forest and died shortly thereafter. Codratus was cared for by, fed by and guided by Divine Providence and by his Guardian Angel. Codratus grew up in nature and in solitude. He, who gave manna from heaven to the Israelites in the wilderness, dropped from the clouds a sweet dew on the mouth of the child Codratus. When he was twelve years old, he entered into town and there some benevolent men took a liking to him and provided him with an education. He studied medicine and healed the sick, as much with natural cures and even more by the power of the spirit and prayer, which he was accustomed to since his childhood. When a new persecution arose again under Decius, Codratus was brought to trial and cast into prison. Five companions joined him and confessed the name of Christ. They were Cyprian, Dionysius, Anectus, Paul and Crescens. They were all dragged through the streets by the pagans, especially by their children. They were beaten with rods and stoned until they were eventually dragged to the scaffold. There, the martyrs prayed to God and were beheaded. On this spot a source of watergushed out of the ground which is still called Codratus even today and is a reminder of the heroic deaths of these six holy innocents for Christ. They honorably suffered for the truth in the year 250 A.D. in Corinth during the reign of Emperor Decius and his governor, Jason.

2. THE HOLY MARTYR CODRATUS OF NICOMEDIA

He was a wealthy nobleman and at the same time a staunch baptized Christian. During time of persecution when Valerian imprisoned many Christians, Codratus bribed the jailers and entered the prison bringing with him various foodstuffs for those in captivity and strengthened them in their faith. When they were brought before the judge who questioned them about their names, their homeland, and their rank, they remained silent. Then Codratus suddenly appeared behind them and cried out with a loud voice, "By name, we are Christians; servants of Jesus Christ the Lord, by title and by birth; and our city and homeland is heaven." After this declaration, he was also arrested and after prolonged and cruel torture was beheaded with the others.

3. THE VENERABLE MOTHER ANASTASIA

Anastasia was a patrician and lady of the imperial palace of Emperor Justinian. After she was widowed and when she perceived that Empress Theodora could not tolerate her, she immediately slipped out of Constantinople and turned up in the wilderness of Egypt. The renown spiritual father Abba Daniel tonsured her a nun and presented her as the monk Anastasius the eunuch according to her wishes so that, as a woman under the guise of a man, she could easily be protected and hidden from the pursuit of the emperor. Anastasia then closed herself off in a narrow cell where she spent twenty-eight years and died there in the year 563 A.D. Before her death, the Elder Daniel saw her face glow like the sun.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT ANASTASIA

One time, a glorious patrician Venerable Anastasia,

Money, flattery, abandoned she all,

To Christ, her entire life she directed;

Christ, her bread; Christ, her water;

Christ, her joy and freedom,

Christ, the restorer of her soul,

Christ, the bridge over death.

Anastasia became shriveled,

The spirit through her withered face shines;

The spirit raises her higher to God,

With the spirit of God, she breathes,

Until illuminated, she became,

By Grace enlightened,

By the power of God strengthened

And among the Living inscribed.

All she forgave, all she loved,

And for the entire world, she prays,

Like an angel, she was indeed,

Wholly fixed on Christ;

By the power of God, more powerful was she

And by riches, more wealthy

Than the Empress Theodora

Amidst the opulence of the imperial court.

REFLECTION

When the forty-two Greek commanders from Ammoria were in Agaha's prison [refer to March 6], certain Muslim sages came to counsel them to embrace the faith of Mohammed and thereby receive their freedom. These sages stressed to theseChristian commanders the two advantages of Islam over Christianity: First: Mohammed is a more recent prophet than Christ and, Second: the Muslims were victorious on all sides over Christianity by which God clearly points out the truth of their religion. To the first point, the commanders replied, "If two men are debating over a field, and one has many witnesses that the field is his and the other does not have any witnesses except his own personal statement, what do you think? Whose field is it?" To this the Agha's men replied, "By all means, the field is his who had many witnesses." To that, the commanders replied, "By yourselves you have judged in favor of Christ and against Mohammed for Christ had with Him the witnesses of all the Prophets and Apostles, but Mohammed alone witnesses to himself." To the second point, the commanders replied, "If you would gauge the truth of a faith by victories in wars, then this would mean that all the idolatrous nations, who from time to time have conquered the world, such as the Persians, Greeks, Romans and others, possessed the true faith. This, even you Muslims would never acknowledge. And because you have been victorious over the Christians now, this does not mean that your faith is better; rather, that our sins are greater and because of this, God punishes us, through you."

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord Jesus at judgment before Caiaphas:

  1. How the elders of the Jews searched everywhere for false witnesses;

  2. How the witnesses testified to the contrary;

  3. How our Lord listened to all the slanders and remained silent and without anger.

HOMILY

About revealed secrets

"Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed nor secret that will not be made known" (St. Matthew 10:26).

There is one eye, brethren, which never sleeps. That is the eye of God. There are more eyes in the heavens, brethren, than there are stars in the firmament of heaven. They are the eyes of the angels. No veil nor any wall nor darkness can conceal any kind of secret on earth from these eyes. Everything is revealed and open before the All-Seeing God and His Holy Angels. The man who believes that all the works of man can be hidden becomes a criminal. Thus thought the elders of the Jews who arranged and plotted in secrecy their evil plot against Christ the Lord. Secretly they persecuted Him; secretly they judged Him in the darkness of night; and secretly they bribed and paid false witnesses. And, as did Judas, they secretly condemned Him. Where are their secrets today? All have become revealed and open before the entire world. It is easier for man to hide from the air than from the sight of God. All the secrets of mankind, both, the good and evil, are revealed before God. A countless number of those secrets God reveals to the entire world according to His Providence. Those who can understand this truth, that God sees all and knows all, carefully guard themselves from evil thoughts in the secret of their hearts and especially from evil deeds. Whenever your heart entices you to do evil, O man, call to mind these words which are not of man but of God, "Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed nor secret that will not be made known." And you, whatever good you do in secret, do not become faint-hearted. All of your good is written in the heavens and will be revealed in its time.

O, All-Seeing Lord, help us and save us.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

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March 11/24

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March 11

1. SAINT SOPHRONIUS, PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM

Sophronius was born in Damascus of distinguished parents. Having acquired worldly wisdom, he was, nevertheless, not satisfied but went to seek and acquire spiritual wisdom. In the monastery [Lavra] of St. Theodosius, he found himself in the company of a monk, John Moschus, whom he choose for his teacher, and together with him traveled about and visisted monasteries and those ascetics in Egypt who were practicing the life of asceticism. His watch word was "Each day learn more about spiritual wisdom." All that they had learned they wrote down and later published two books under the title, "Spiritual Meadow." Later on, they traveled to Rome, where Moschus died leaving a testament to Sophronius to have his body taken, either to Sinai or to the Monastery of St. Theodosius. Sophronius fulfilled the desires and wishes of his teacher and translated his body to the Monastery of St. Theodosius and thereafter remained in Jerusalem which, at that time, was liberated from the Persians. He was present at the Translation of the Honorable Cross from Persia which the Emperor Heraclius carried on his shoulders into the Holy City. The aged Patriarch Zacharias, who had also returned from bondage, did not live long thereafter when he took up habitation in the other world. Patriarch Zacharias was replaced by Modestus who died in 634 A.D. Modestus was replaced by Blessed Sophronius. He governed the Church for ten years with exceptional wisdom and zeal. He rose up in defense of Orthodoxy against the heresy of Monotheletism which he condemned at his Council in Jerusalem before it was condemned at the Sixth Ecumenical Council [Constantinople, 680 A.D.]. He wrote The Life of St. Mary the Egyptian, complied The Order of the Greater Blessing of Water, and introduced several new hymns and songs in the various liturgical services. When the Arab Caliph captured Jerusalem, Sophronius begged him to spare the lives of the Christians which Omar insincerely promised. When Omar immediately began to plunder and maltreat the Christians in Jerusalem, Sophronius, with lamentation, prayed to God to take him from among the living on earth, so that he would not witness the desecration of the Holy Shrines. God heard his prayer and took Sophronius to Himself into His heavenly mansion in the year 644 A.D.

2. THE HOLY MARTYR PIONIUS AND OTHERS WITH HIM

Pionius was priest from Syria. He suffered in Smyrna during the time ofpersecution under Decius. He was condemned to be crucified, for which he was exceedingly glad. As soon as the soldiers formed a cross and laid it upon the ground, Pionius freely lay on the cross, stretched out his arms and ordered the soldiers to nail him in the hands with spikes. The cross was inserted in the ground upside down and a fire was ignited under the head of the martyr. Many people gathered around. Pionius closed his eyes and prayed to God within himself. The flames of the fire did not even catch the hairs of his head on fire. When, at last, the fire was extinguished and when everyone thought that Pionius was dead, he opened his eyes and cried out rejoicing, "O God, receive my soul," and expired. This saint wrote " The Life of St. Polycarp of Smyrna," with whom he rejoices in the Kingdom of Christ. He suffered and was glorified in the year 250 A.D.

3. THE VENERABLE GREGORY SINAITES

Gregory was the abbot of Mount Sinai, a great ascetic and a just man. On the vigil of Pascha [the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ],an angel of the Lord conveyed him to Jerusalem for the Divine Services and returned him again to Sinai the same day. He died peacefully in the sixth century.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT PIONIUS

Pionius speaks while being tortured:

O, citizens of famous Smyrna,

Fellow townsmen of Omar, the well known,

I know that which all of you know,

Not one of you know, that, what I know:

The sweet pleasure of dying, I know

And sweeter yet, hoping in Christ.

I know that death will destroy me not

But just the body, to separate from the soul;

For me, I know that the angels are waiting

In the mansions of the Heavenly King,

And angels, prophets and saints,

Many armies of those chosen by God,

And the wonderful martyrs for Christ.

I know that I am returning to my homeland,

From whence I came here.

The goal of my suffering, I do know,

(You know not why you are torturing me!)

Seethe, O malice, and against me rage!

With outstretched arms, the Savior awaits me,

Strike me, all of you, with greater tortures.

The more difficult the suffering, the sooner the dawn,

The quicker the death, the more joyful the soul.

REFLECTION

"No good works are accomplished by our efforts alone but by the power and will of God. Nevertheless, God demands effort on our part in conforming to His will." These are the words of Saints Barsanuphius and John. Few words but much said. We are obliged to labor, to cultivate and to prepare every good thing, and if some good will take root, grow and bring forth fruit, that is up to the power and will of God. We plow the furrows and God sows, if He wills it. We cleanse the vessels of the Spirit and God pours the Spirit into these vessels, if He wills it. He can do anything if He wills it. And He will do everything that responds to the highest wisdom and suitability, that is, to His plan of man's salvation. In interpreting the words of our Lord, "So be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves" (St. Matthew 10:16), St. John Chrysostom writes that our Lord gave this commandment to His disciples that "they themselves should cooperate in some way, so that it will not to appear that all effort is of Grace alone and for them not to think that they received the wreaths of glory for nothing." And so, both of them are indispensable for our salvation: our effort and the power of God's Grace.

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord at judgment before Caiaphas:

  1. How the High Priest of the Jews detains our Lord in his home surrounded by men almost as wretched as he himself;

  2. How Peter, sitting outside in the courtyard by the fire and how before the servants, denies our Lord Jesus three times;

  3. How even today, it happens that some Christians, out of fear of the world, deny the Lord in this manner: How they also purport not to be Christians; that they are not familiar with the commandments of the Lord and are not concerned about the Lord.

HOMILY

About the second coming of Christ

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, He will sit upon His glorious throne" (St. Matthew 25:31).

This is how our Lord spoke just before His most horrible humiliations, before being bound, before being spat upon, before being slapped, and before being ridiculed prior to His crucifixion. In His most darkest hour, He speaks about His most vivid and most glorious hour. Before His most terrible and miserable departure from this world, He speaks about His second coming in His glory. At first, He came from the cave in Bethlehem, humble and unseen, and the second time, He will come on the clouds of His angels. The first time as though He sprouted out of the earth, and the second time He will appear from the heavens. The first time He stood and knelt on the ground, and the second time He will be sitting on His throne of Glory.

When He comes again on His throne of Glory, He will not be unseen by anyone. No one will ask, as did the wise men [the Magi] before his first coming,

"Where is the King?" (St. Matthew 2:2). At this time, everyone will see the King and recognize Him as the King. But this vision and recognition will be for some, their joy and for some, their fear and terror. Just think of the joy of those who have fulfilled His commandments, those who have prayed in His Name, those who have performed good works and especially those who have suffered for His Name! Just think of the fear and terror of all those who have spat on Him, struck Him and crucified Him in Jerusalem.

O, Merciful Lord, forgive all of us who call upon Your Name and who because of our weaknesses, sin against You; forgive us before that great marvelous hour when You begin to appear in Your glory with all Your holy angels.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

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March 12/25

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March 12

1. VENERABLE THEOPHANES THE CONFESSOR

Theophanes is called the Sygrian [Sigrian] because of Sygriana [Sigriana], the place of his birth. He was a kinsman of the Emperor Leo Isaurian and his son Copronymos. He possessed great wealth and splendor. But all of this lost its worth for Theophanes when the Lord Christ began to reign in his soul. He resisted his own marriage and, when he was compelled to marry, succeeded in counseling his bride to live together in chastity, as brother and sister. As soon as his parents died, his wife entered a convent and he, a monastery. His monastery was located in the Sygrian Mountains in the Province of Cyzicus. The one-time glorious and wealthy Theophanes lived in this monastery as the least of the poor. All were amazed at the change in him. Having become renown because of his strong faith, abstinence, and wisdom, he was summoned to the Seventh Ecumenical Council [Nicaea, 783 A.D.]where the veneration of icons was confirmed. Because of his purity and chastity, God bestowed upon him the gift of performing miracles, by which he cured all diseases, especially maniacal disorders and insanity. He prayed to God for all the sick and the unfortunate and, through his prayers, helped them. Only when he became ill and his illness lingered for a while, did he refuse to pray to God for the restoration of his own health but endured his illness with gratitude. When the Iconoclastic persecution resumed again under the wicked Leo the Armenian, Theophanes was brought to Constantinople and cast into prison, where he languished for two years in hardships, pain and humiliation. Then the emperor banished him into exile to the island of Samothrace, which he had earlier foreseen in his spirit and had mentioned it to his jailers. After he arrived at Samothrace, he lived for twenty-three days and appeared before His Lord and Creator to receive his merited wreath of glory.

2. VENERABLE SIMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN

This God-bearing and great Father of the Church was born in Galatia, Paphlagonia. Simeon was educated in Constantinople and was assigned as a courtier in attendance to the Emperors Basil and Constantine Porphyrogenitus. Simeon left all for the sake of Christ and retreated to a monastery. He lived a life of asceticism under the direction of the Elder Simeon, after which he became the abbot of the Monastery of St. Mamas and in the end became a recluse. He is the greatest theologian after St. Gregory the Theologian. Simeon felt God's Grace in his heart. His words are true spiritual and theological revelations. He died in 1032 A.D. His relics are miracle-performing.

3. SAINT GREGORY DIALOGUES, THE POPE OF ROME

The son of Senator Gordianus and afterwards, himself, a senator and mayor of the city of Rome. As soon as his father died, Gregory surrendered himself to the spiritual life. From his wealth he built six monasteries in Sicily and the seventh in the city of Rome, in honor of St. Andrew the Apostle, in which he was tonsured a monk. Sylvia, his mother, entered a convent and was tonsured a nun. After the death of Pope Pelagius II, Gregory was chosen Pope. He fled from this honor and authority hiding himself in the mountains and ravines, but the Lord revealed him to those who were seeking him in the following manner: a fiery column appeared from the ground to heaven over the place where Gregory hid himself. He was exceptionally charitable. All of his income was used for building shelters and hospices for the needy. Often he invited less fortunate men and served them around the table. He spent his time writing beneficial [inspirational] books. He is also called Dialogues because he wrote a book under that name in which he extolled the miracles of the Italian saints. He also composed the "Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts," which is celebrated on Wednesdays and Fridays of the Great Lenten Season. His Arch-deacon Peter saw a dove flying above Gregory's head as he was seated and writing. He presented himself before the Lord in the year 604 A.D.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT THEOPHANES

Leo the Armenian offers Theophanes,

Offers riches as much as he wants,

Only his name to sign

On the evil roster of iconoclasts.

From the dungeon, Theophanes to him, writes:

O, emperor, to please you I cannot,

Neither, can I to God and to you be true.

While I was young and agreeable to the world

Immense wealth, I had,

Left all and turned to God,

Distributed all, and to the wilderness retreated,

Yet in the wilderness I did not have hunger,

By Himself, God feeds and sweetens me.

In my old age, what do you offer me?

Dust that I despised in early youth!

Nothing, O emperor, to me can you give

That the Lord does not give me a hundred-fold,

Except tortures, for which I waited so long,

From the world, tortures will separate me

And unite me with the All-Precious Lord.

O, emperor, why do you against icons, wage war?

Was not Christ Himself as an icon,

As an icon of the Eternal Hypostases,

As an icon of the Trinity Almighty,

As an icon of the unseen God,

Unseen and unapproachable.

Both you and me, will He judge,

Rule, O emperor, hope in your replacement.

The world passes, only God remains,

Whoever is with God, does not fear the world.

REFLECTION

No one, not even the Lord Himself, can easily instruct the proud. No one wants to give instructions to him who cries out that he knows everything. "For great is the power of God; by the humble, He is glorified" says the wise Sirach. (The Book ofEcclesiasticus - Sirach 3:19), David also speaks about God saying, "He guides the humble to justice, He teaches the humble His way" (Psalm 25:9). The proud person is he who wants to teach everyone and himself does not want to be taught anything by anyone. The humble is he who does not wish to teach anyone but continually desires to be taught regardless by whom. An empty spike [ear] of grain raises its head above the entire field and the full spike [ear] of grain hangs down with bowed head. O proud man, if only your Guardian Angel would somehow remove the veil from your eyes and show you the endless open sea of all that you do not know, you would kneel before every man before whom you have exhibited pride and kneel before every man whom you have belittled. You would cry out lamenting, "Forgive me, forgive me! I do not know anything!" Often times, to the humble and pius the time when they are about to die is revealed, but the death of the proud comes unexpectedly and without warning. St. Gregory Dialogues speaks of a bishop, Carpus, who daily celebrated the Divine Liturgy and how suddenly someone appeared from the other world and said, "Continue to do what you are doing in serving me and may your legs never grow tired or your hands weakened. On the feast day of the Dormition of the Mother of God [The Assumption], you will come to Me and I will give you your reward in My Heavenly Kingdom, together with all of those for whom you have prayed at the Divine Services." After a year, on the feast of the Dormition, Bishop Carpus celebrated the Divine Liturgy of God, sought forgiveness from his priests, and gave up his soul to God. His face glowed like the sun.

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord Jesus before Pilate:

  1. How the Jews accused Him before Pilate and how He does not say anything;

  2. How He does not reply, even to Pilate's questions;

  3. How our Lord speaks when it is necessary to defend men from the devil, from sin, from disease and death but is silent when it is asked that He, the Defender of Men, protect Himself from man.

HOMILY

Again, about the second coming of Christ

"And all the nations will be assembled before Him" (St. Matthew 25:32).

All the nations will be assembled before the Lord Jesus when He appears in His glory surrounded by Holy Angels sitting on a throne as the judge of all the living and the dead. "All nations will be assembled," all, without exception. Not only the Jews who tormented Him, not only the Christians who glorified Him but also the heathen who knew Him not, nor acknowledged Him. For if He did not appear to all nations, He sent to all nations someone or He gave something for the sake of knowing God's will and for the sake of salvation. That is why all nations must appear before Him for judgment. O what an awesome and majestic spectacle when all the nations and all the tribes on earth are assembled before the Lord, Who is brighter than many suns. What joy for the holy martyrs and confessors when they see how, in this countless mass of nations, there is not one tongue left at all to deny the divinity of the Lord Jesus! But, it will not be of any value to anyone in that hour and in that place to recognize and to confess the divinity of our great Lord, if they denied Him on earth. There and then accounts will settled, not gain nor loss. He who appears before the Lord with whatsoever, with that he will be either condemned or justified.

Now is the time to acknowledge the divinity of the Lord Jesus, now, when many deny Him and when His divinity is doubted by many. They who love the Lord and who have trust in all of His words will easily acknowledge this. For when He says this, about what do they who love Him have to worry, to doubt, or to hesitate.

O Lord, Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us!

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

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March 13/26

Post by Mary Kissel »

March 13

1. SAINT NICEPHORUS, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE

Nicephorus governed the Holy Church wisely and zealously as one of the greatest Arch-pastors of Constantinople. When Leo the Armenian rose up against icons, Nicephorus alone defied the emperor. He first counseled the emperor and then later unmasked him. That is why the depraved emperor banished him to the island of Prokenesis. On this island there was a monastery which Nicephorous had built in honor of Saint Theodore. This confessor of the Orthodox Faith remained in this monastery for thirteen years and afterwards presented himself to the Lord in the year 827 A.D. Since all the iconoclastic emperors had perished, and Michael, with his mother Theodora, sat on the Imperial Throne, Patriarch Methodius then was restored to the Patriarchal Throne. The relics of St. Nicephorous were translated from Prokenesis to Constantinople in 846 A.D. and were reposed, first in the Church of the Divine Wisdom of God [St. Sophia], from which he was banished during his life, and later reposed in the Church of the Twelve Apostles. The principal feast of this great hierarch is commemorated on June 2 and again on March 13 when the discovery and translation of his incorruptible relics is commemorated. On March 13, St. Nicephorous was banished from Constantinople and then, again, on March 13, nineteen years later, his relics were returned to the Capitol.

2. SAINT CHRISTINA THE PERSIAN

For her unwavering confession of faith in Christ, she was cruelly tortured in Persia in the fourth century. So much did they torture her, flogging her with a whip, that she became weak and died. Her soul then departed from her tortured body and entered into the joy of Christ, the King and Lord.

3. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR, PUBLIUS

This priestly-martyr was successor to the episcopal throne of the glorious Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens. As a bishop, he was tortured by the pagans and beheaded in the second century. After a brief period of torture, he inherited life eternal.

HYMN OF PRAISE

THE CITY OF CONSTANTINOPLE

Constantinople, wondrous city near the Bosphorus blue,

With your glory, whose glory can be measured?

You were an awesome battleground of spiritual warriors,

Blasphemous heretics and saints of God.

As through a sieve you sifted throughout the centuries long

And declared apostates and servants of God.

By many sins you are soiled, and by filth of sinners,

You are consecrated with the abundance of the blood of martyrs.

Who could enumerate the spiritual heroes,

And all heavenly visions and your mysteries, all?

The angels of God often swooped down upon you,

And men, as angels, to heaven were raised.

The Mother of God, many times, within you appeared,

To deliver those in danger, the sick to heal.

The flock of wonderful saints, over you, hover

And the prayers of your children, to the Most High, bear.

O, how many saints were your children!

As many as there are lilies next to lilies and saints next to saints!

History and calendar, in red, you wrote,

By your effort even the great Symbol [The Creed] was written.

And about you, in such a way, this could be said:

Among the many cities, a red letter you are.

With Holy Faith, you enlightened the universe

From paganism and heresies, the world you healed.

Tortured much, but not slain, you have not yet passed.

That is why we all celebrate you! Confessor, that you are!

Throughout the earth and in the heavens, your glory echoes;

Everyone baptized, a great gratitude owes you.

REFLECTION

Great are those Christians who have a great love for Christ. O, in truth, how great were those Christians; those God-bearing fathers and martyrs! For so many in our time, this is impossible even to imagine. This is what one of them, St. Simeon, the New Theologian, confessed before all the monks in his monastery: Speaking from his own personal experience about how the words of the Lord, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (St. Matthew 11:29), were realized in him. Simeon said, "Believe me, when I fled to God, my Savior, I did not encounter anything sorrowful, difficult or unbearable. The only great and unbearable sorrow I had was that I could not find enough satisfactory reasons to die for the sake of the love for Christ." Are not such souls as a burning flame enclosed in eathern vessels? Burning flames are always upright, directed toward heaven. Only remove the covering and the flame will shoot upward.

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord Jesus at the judgment before Herod:

  1. How Herod at first was very kind because he saw Jesus not out of any spiritual need, but out of curiosity;

  2. How Herod had hoped to see a miracle from Jesus, but he was fooled for the Lord remained silent to all of his questions;

  3. How Herod ridiculed the Lord and how he clothed Him in a white garment.

HOMILY

About the reconciliation of the wicked for the sake of evil

"Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly" (St. Luke 23:13).

In His shame and humiliation, the Just Man does good to His enemies. He reconciles them. It is true, in this case, that their reconciliation did not imply mutual cooperation for some good deed but mutual persecution of the Just One. At least the flame of hatred between them was extinguished and died out. That was the reward of the Just One. Pilate and Herod were enemies. On that day, when the Savior was brought for judgment, before the one and the other, they [Pilate and Herod]were reconciled. The Prince of Peace brought peace between the quarreling parties; peace which helped to hew out a cross for Him. But He also comes to be a willing sacrifice for the sins of many.

Even today common enemies make peace among themselves when they find it necessary to attack and condemn the Lord. There are many who kill one another until you mention the Name of the Lord to them. As soon as they hear that Name, they gradually make peace among themselves for the sake of attacking that Holy Name. It is easier for the unjust to tolerate the unjust than it is for them to tolerate the just. It is easier for the unjust to come to an understanding and reconciliation with the unjust than with the just.

Even in some countries, the most quarrelsome parties seek reconciliation among themselves when it is deemed necessary to decide what place should be given to the Lord Jesus Christ in the State, either to render Him the first place, which is befitting to Him, or the last place? To these questions sworn enemies reconcile among themselves in order that our Lord will be given the last place only. So, also, it was with the quarreling parties of Pharisees and Saducees who were reconciled and entered into a partnership against Christ.

Why is it that the Most Pure and the Most Needed had to be awarded the last place? Because, according to their thinking, the first place would then be reserved for them. The same incentive was there between sworn enemies, the Pharisees and Saducees, when it was deemed necessary to seek to put Christ to death. The same incentive was the occasion that caused the reconciliation between Pilate and Herod when it was deemed necessary to judge that Christ had to be put to death.

O my brethren, let us not ever seek peace with injustice against justice. Rather, let us always seek peace with God, and that with a clear conscience.

O God, help us so that we may always possess such a peace.

To You all glory and thanks always. Amen.

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Mary Kissel
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March 14/27

Post by Mary Kissel »

March 14

1. THE VENERABLE BENEDICT

Benedict was born in Nursia [Norcia] a province in Italy, in the year 480 A.D., of wealthy and distinguished parents. He did not remain long in school for he alone saw that because of lack of knowledge one can lose "the great understanding of his soul." He left school "an unlearned wise man and an understanding fool." He retreated to a monastery where he was tonsured by the monk Romanus after which he withdrew to a steep mountain where he remained in a cave for more than three years in a great struggle over his soul. Romanus brought him bread and lowered it down the steep mountain on a rope to the opening of the cave. When Benedict became known in the vicinity and in order to retreat from the glory of man, he withdrew from this cave. He was merciless toward himself. Once, when an unclean and raging passion of the flesh seized him, he removed all his clothes and rolled around naked in the thorns until he repelled every thought of a woman. God endowed him with many spiritual gifts: he discerned thoughts; he healed; he expelled evil spirits; he raised the dead; he appeared to some openly; and to others who were distant, he appeared in dreams. At one time, Benedict perceived that the glass of wine served to him was poisoned. When he made the sign of the cross over it, the glass burst. In the beginning he established twelve monasteries and in all of them, he placed twelve monks each. Later on, he founded the special order of the Benedictines which exists even today in the Roman Church. On the sixth day before his death, he ordered that his grave which had been prepared earlier be opened for the saint foresaw that his end was near. He assembled all the monks, counseled them and then gave up his soul to the Lord whom he had faithfully served in poverty and in purity. Scholastica, his sister by birth, lived in a convent and looking up to her brother, she greatly mortified herself and reached a high state of spiritual perfection. When St. Benedict gave up his soul, two monks, one traveling on the road and one at prayer in a far away cell, simultaneously saw the same vision. They saw a path extending from earth to heaven, covered with a precious woven fiber and illuminated on both sides by rows of men. At the head of the path, there stood a man of indescribable beauty and light who said to them that this path was prepared for Benedict, favored by God. As a result of this vision, these two brothers learned that their good abbot departed from this world. He died peacefully in the year 543 A.D. and entered into the eternal Kingdom of Christ the King.

2. SAINT EUSCHEMON, BISHOP OF LAMPSACUS

At the time of the Iconoclastic controversy Euschemon endured persecution and imprisonment. He died during the reign of Emperor Theophilus, the Iconoclast (829-842 A.D.).

3. SAINT THEOGNOSTUS

Theognostus was Metropolitan of Kiev. He was a Greek by origin and a successor to St. Peter of Kiev. He suffered much from the Mongol hordes, especially at the hands of Janibeg Khan. Theognostus was slandered by his own Russian people before the Mongolian emperor because he did not render the emperor any tribute for his episcopal rank. When the emperor summoned and questioned him concerning this, Theognostus replied: "Christ our God has redeemed this Church from paganism by His Precious Blood. For what and on what should I pay tribute to the pagans?" In the end he was released and returned home. He governed the Church for twenty-five years. He died to the Lord in the year 1353 A.D.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT BENEDICT

Benedict, a mighty-miracle-worker, was he,

A tearful devout person and a companion dear.

Led by the Spirit of God, by faith was correct,

A loving leader, mighty, resolute and humble.

Placid was his novice young;

Once, rising early, to the water Placid, he went,

At that moment holy father [Benedict] prayed to God,

But at once, his spirit perceived in the distance:

Behold, the brook suddenly rose, tumbling stones;

Placid already in death, tosses in the torrent,

The brook seized him and with him was toying,

The saint heard a scream, his own name he heard.

There, faith is necessary, but also pursuit,

Quickly, the Elder, Maurus the monk he sent.

Maurus, with a hurried leap, in the water jumped,

On the water as on a road, to Placid he rushed

And Maurus unaware, that on the water he was walking,

[The] prayers of the saint upheld him on the surface.

When Maurus and Placid to the elder came,

Kissed the elder's hand and Placid sobbed:

I saw you, O elder, above my head,

When my heart was overly-filled with dread

By the hairs you grabbed me and above the water lifted me

Until, in that moment, Maurus to my assistance came!

Through the prayers of Holy Father Benedict,

God, also proclaimed Maurus as a miracle-worker.

REFLECTION

We can hardly find a better example as to how we should not become lazy and how we should not procrastinate in prayer and in work for tomorrow's day than by this example which is given to us by St. Ephrem the Syrian. "Once a brother was inspired by the devil to think: Give yourself rest today and tomorrow rise for vigil." But he answered the thought, "Who knows, perhaps, I will not even get up tomorrow, that is why I need to rise today." Before work, he was also inspired with this thought, "Give yourself rest today and complete your work tomorrow." And again he responded, "No, I will complete my work today and about tomorrow's day, the Lord will take care of it." St. Anthony teaches, " Before the closing of each day, arrange your life as though this is your last day on earth and you will protect yourself from sins."

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord Jesus before Pilate:

  1. How the Lord is silent before Pilate;

  2. How Judas, at that time, threw the pieces of silver into the Temple and hanged himself;

  3. And again, how Pilate questions and the Lord is silent.

HOMILY

About Christ's prophecy concerning His Glory

"From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven"(St. Matthew 26:24).

He who does not see God as the merciful Samaritan on earth will see Him as the Dreadful Judge in Heaven. So blinded were the leaders of the Jews that they were unable to see in Christ the Lord neither God, nor the Messiah, nor a Prophet, nor even a simple good man. They placed Him beneath ordinary good people. Not only that, they placed Him even lower than the thieves. They released Barabas and they condemned Christ! In general, they did not even consider Christ a man. They spit upon Him; they mocked Him; they made a masquerade of Him, as some cheap and unneeded thing. Exactly at that moment when the Jews maliciously played with Christ as some cheap and unneeded thing, the Lord suddenly opened His mouth and spoke, "From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of Heaven." What a distance there is between what Christ is in truth and that which the Jews held Him to be!

The Son of Man, Who sits on the right hand of Power, is the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was seen as such soon after that by the Holy Arch-Deacon Stephen and many many others. The Son of Man Who comes on the clouds with angels and countless numbers of powers and heavenly hosts is again that same Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, as He was seen in His Revelation, written by St. John, the Theologian and Evangelist.

O my brethren, do not be misled by deluding and illusionary tales of those men who speak, "When we see Christ in the Heavens as God, then we will believe in Him." That faith will be a little too late, and in vain will that vision be. With our faith we must see Christ as God in that humiliated, spat upon, beaten, bloodied, and ridiculed man; in that silent and condemned One in the court of Caiaphas Whom the Jews considered as something cheap and unneeded and Whom they turned into a masquerade. This is the Faith that is valued in the heavens. This is the Faith that is rewarded by resurrection and immortality. This is the Faith which, until now, nurtured and transplanted to heaven numerous armies of the holiest souls, of the strongest characters, the most forbearing heroes and the most illustrious minds. O humiliated Lord, raise us up to this Faith.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

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Mary Kissel
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March 15/28

Post by Mary Kissel »

March 15

1. THE HOLY MARTYR AGAPIUS AND THE SEVEN WITH HIM: PUBLIUS, TIMOLAUS, ROMULUS, ALEXANDER, ALEXANDER, DIONYSIUS AND DIONYSIUS

They all suffered in Caesarea in Palestine at the hand of Prince Urban during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. All seven were extremely young men, none of whom were Christians, except Agapius. Neither were they baptized with water, but theirs was a "baptism by blood." One day these seven young men were observing how Christians were being tortured; one in the fire, another on the gallows and a third before wild beasts. Seeing with what great forbearance these Christians endured all pain and sufferings, these seven became inflamed with a zeal for Christ. They tied their hands behind their backs and came before Urban saying, "We also are Christians." The flattery and threats of Urban remained, but in vain. These young men were joined by a distinguished citizen of this town, Agapius, who, until then, had suffered much for Christ. They became all the more enflamed in their faith and love for the Lord. All were beheaded in the year 303 A.D. and took up their abode in the mansions of the Heavenly King.

2. THE HOLY MARTYR ALEXANDER

Alexander was from the city of Side in Pamphylia. A deputy of the Emperor Aurelius asked Alexander, "Who are you and what are you?" To that, Alexander replied that, he is a shepherd of the flock of Christ." "And where is this flock of Christ?," further inquired the wicked and suspicious governor. Alexander replied, "Throughout the entire world where men live whom Christ the God created, and among those who believe in Him, they are His sheep. But all who are fallen away from their Creator and are slaves to creation, to man-made things and to dead idols, such as you, are estranged from His flock. At the dreadful judgment of God, they will be placed on the left with the goats." The wicked judge then ordered that Alexander, first of all, be beaten with oxen straps and then thrown into a fiery furnace. But the fire did not harm him in any way. After that, he was skinned and was thrown to the wild beasts, but the beasts would not touch him. Finally, the deputy ordered thatAlexander be beheaded. Just as soon as the judge pronounced the sentence, he became possessed by an evil spirit and went insane. Howling, the judge was led before his god-idol and on the way, his evil soul was wrenched from him. St. Alexander suffered between the years 270 - 275 A.D.

3. THE HOLY MARTYR NICANDER, THE EGYPTIAN

Nicander was skinned and then beheaded for his faith in Christ. As a physician, his crime was that he ministered to Christian martyrs and honorably buried their martyred bodies. He suffered honorable in the year 302 A.D.

HYMN OF PRAISE

THE HOLY MARTYRS AGAPIUS, ALEXANDER AND NICANDER

From every state, the Lord chooses His army,

Everyone in whom the flame of love and faith burns;

From among physicians, sages, peasants and laborers,

From among emperors and fishermen--an army of martyrs!

The sword beheaded, the Lord received the wise Alexander,

The sword beheaded, the Lord took the merciful Nicander,

The sword beheaded eight beautiful and young apples,

Beneath the sword, the All-sustaining Hand receives them.

Those whom the world from its sheepfold scoops up and discards

With His tender hand, the Lord gathers as the most beautiful blossoms.

Shoveled aside as a weed, the first citizen

Agapius, the Lord, as His son, received.

Ten martyrs and glorious men

Now, sing in eternity in the angelic choir.

It is not the same to die, to die, although for what:

Some of the dead are blessed and others cursed.

Who dies for Christ's sake, with him is blessing,

Who dies persecuting Christ, curse is with him.

RELECTION

Love for whomever or for whatever, even love for oneself can, in time, grow cold in man, can be lost altogether and can even be twisted into hatred. But the love of man for God, once gained and established, is more difficult to cool off, except if one loses his mind. In the first instance man diminishes or erases his love either out of change in himself or because of a change in the objects of his love. In the second instance man can diminish his love toward God only because of a change in him and never because of a change in God. All of this is neatly and clearly explained by St. Isaac the Syrian saying, "There is a kind of love that is similar to a brook following a rainfall which quickly ceases after the rain stops. But there is a love similar to a spring which erupts through the earth, which never ceases. The first love is humanlove, and the second love is Divine Love." St. Simeon the New Theologian, speaks about Divine Love, "O Holy Love! You are the end of the Law. You overcome me; You warm me; You inflame my heart to immeasurable love for God and my brothers. Out of love, God became man. Out of love, He endured all His life-giving suffering in order to deliver man from the throes of Hades and bring him to heaven. Out of love, the apostles completed their difficult course. Out of love, the martyrs shed their blood in order not to lose Christ."

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord Jesus when Pilate brought Him out before the Jews:

  1. How the Lord was flogged by the Roman soldiers;

  2. How after flagellation, He was mocked by them; they placed a thorny crown upon His head and dressed Him in a purple robe;

  3. How Pilate presents Him to the Jews saying, "Behold the man!" (St. John 19:5).

HOMILY

About the prophecy concerning the desolate house

"Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate"(St. Matthew 23:38).

Why did our Lord remain silent at the judgment before the Jews and before Pilate? Because, prior to that, He had said everything that needed to be said. He said and foretold how the Jewish elders would hand him over to the unbelievers and how they would kill Him. Many times He had foretold what would personally befall Him. This, His apostles heard and carefully remembered. He also foretold His terrible punishment which the Jews will assume upon themselves by their evil abomination against the Son of God. Even the Jews heard this and forgot it. "Behold, your housewill be abandoned, desolate." The Lord foretold this about the Jews. And this, the Jews heard and forgot. But much later, many remembered these prophetic words, many of whom had participated in the Great Evil when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, plundered it, set it on fire, dispersed its inhabitants and displaced them throughout the world. Many were killed either by suffocation, by starvation or by crucifixion on a cross. The Jews, out of fear and annoyance, forced Pilate to raise his hand against the Lord Jesus. Afterwards, the Roman Empire raised its hand against the Jews. On that day when the prophecy of the Lord was fulfilled, the Roman Empire, represented in Jerusalem at one time by Pilate, raised its hand against Jerusalem and their children with a very sharp sword. When Emperor Hadrian restored Jerusalem, he renamed it (Aelia Capitolina)(*) and forbade the Jews from settling in Jerusalem under penalty of death. "Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate." From that time on, until today, Jerusalem was left deserted by the Jews as a people (nation). The children of the wicked ancestors who killed Christ were dispersed everywhere, even to this day, but in their own home.(**) Lord, Almighty and All-Seeing, forgive us our sins.

(*) Hadrian renamed Jerusalem Aelia after his name, for his was called Aelius.

(**)Nota Bene: The State of Israel was established May 14, 1948.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

Last edited by Mary Kissel on Thu 25 March 2004 1:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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