ON THIS DATE: From the Prologue to Ohrid/Ochrid

[尼古拉前执事]

1. THE HOLY PROPHET AMOS

Amos was born in the village of Thecua near Bethlehem. He was of simple origin and life. Amos was a swine herdsman for a wealthy man of Jerusalem. But God Who does not look at who is who by his outward appearances but rather by the purity of his heart, and Who took both Moses and David from their sheep, and appointed them as leaders of the people, chose this Amos as one of His prophets. He rebuked King Uzziah and his pagan priests for idolatry and dissuaded the people from worshipping the golden calves in Bethel, teaching them to worship the One Living God. When the chief pagan priest persecuted Amos, he prophesied that the Assyrians will conquer Israel, that they will slay the king and the sons of Amaziah and that the Assyrian soldiers will defile Amaziah's wife before his eyes because he led the people into adultery with idols. All of this materialized. The son of a pagan priest struck the prophet on the forehead with his staff so forcefully that Amos fell. Barely alive, Amos was brought to his village of Thecua where he surrendered his holy soul to God. Amos lived in the eighth century before Christ.

1. THE HOLY MARTYRS VITUS, MODEST AND CRESCENTIA

St. Vitus was born in Sicily of famous but non-believing parents. Modest was his teacher and Crescentia was his governess. St. Vitus was baptized at an early age and, at the age of twelve, withdrew to live a life of great mortification. Angels appeared to him, directed and strengthened him in his mortification and he, himself, was as radiant and beautiful as an angel of God. The hand of a judge who beat him withered but Vitus healed his hand through prayer. Seeing twelve radiant angels in his room "whose eyes were as stars and whose faces were as lightning," his father was blinded. Vitus, through prayer, restored his sight. When his father wanted to kill him, an angel appeared to Vitus and took him together with Modest and Crescentia to Lucania on the shore of the river Silaris. Here, Vitus worked many miracles over the infirm and the insane. At the request of Emperor Diocletian, Vitus traveled to Rome where he expelled an evil demon from the emperor's son for which the emperor did not reward him but, on the contrary, cruelly tortured him because he would not worship the dumb idols. However, the Lord delivered him from all torments and by His invisible hand translated him again to Lucania where he, Modest and Crescentia presented themselves to the Lord. The relics of St. Vitus are located in Prague, the Czech Republic.

1. THE VENERABLE MARTYR DOULAS

Doulas lived a holy life in a monastery in Egypt. One of his brethren, out of envy, accused him of sacrilege, the stealing of ecclesiastical articles. They removed the cassock from the innocent Doulas and turned him over to the prince for trial. The prince ordered him to be scourged and wanted to cut off his hands according to the law for such a crime but, at that moment, that brother repented and declared the innocence of Doulas. After twenty years of exile and humiliation, Doulas was restored to the monastery and, on the third day, reposed in the Lord. His body vanished in a miraculous way.

1. THE HOLY MARTYR LAZAR [LAZARUS], SERBIAN PRINCE

Lazar was one of the Serbian noblemen who ruled the Serbian empire after the death of Tsar Dushan. After the death of Tsar Urosh, Patriarch Ephrem crowned Lazar as the Serbian king. Lazar sent a delegation to Constantinople with the monk Isaiah to implore the patriarch to lift [remove] the anathema from the Serbian people. He fought against the Turkish powers on several occasions. Finally, he clashed [fought] on the Field of Blackbirds [Kosovo Polje] on June 15, 1389 A.D. against the Turkish Emperor Amurat where he was beheaded. His body was translated and interred in Ravanica, his memorial church [Zaduzbina] near Cuprija and later was translated to Ravanica in Srem and from there, during the Second World War (1942) was translated to Belgrade and placed in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Archangel Michael where it rests today incorrupt and extends comfort and healing to all those who turn to him with prayer. [In 1989, on the occasion of the six-hundred year anniversary of his martyrdom, St. Lazar's relics were again translated to the monastery of Ravanica in Cuprija]. St. Lazar restored the monasteries of Hilendar [Mt. Athos] and Gornjak. He built Ravanica and Lazarica [in Krusevac] and was a benefactor of the Russian monastery St. Pantaleon [Mt. Athos] as well as many other churches and monasteries.

1. SAINT EPHREM, SERBIAN PATRIARCH

As the son of a priest, Ephrem from an early age yearned for a spiritual and ascetical life. He fled to Mt. Athos when his parents wanted him to marry. Later, he returned and lived a life of asceticism in the Ibar gorge and in the monastery of Decani [Kosovo]. When rivalry and war broke out concerning precedence in the State and, unfortunately even in the Church, the Assembly [Sabor] chose Ephrem to succeed the deceased Sava as patriarch in 1375 A.D. When he was informed of his election, he wept bitterly but was unable to refuse. He crowned Prince Lazar as Tsar in 1382 A.D., renounced his throne and turned it over to Spiridon and again withdrew to the wilderness. Following the death of Spiridon in 1388 A.D., Tsar Lazar begged him to accept the throne again. He governed the Serbian Church in the difficult time of the defeat at Kosovo [1389 A.D.] until 1400 A.D. when he died in the eighty-eighth year of his earthly life and took up habitation with the Lord Whom he loved. His relics repose in the monastery of Pec [Kosovo].

1. BLESSED AUGUSTINE, THE BISHOP OF HIPPO

Augustine turned from paganism to Christianity, thanks to the counsels, tears and prayers of his mother Monica. He was a great teacher of the Church and an influential writer but with certain unapproved extremes in his teaching. As bishop of Hippo, he glorified the Lord for thirty-five years and lived a total of seventy-six years on earth (354-430 A.D.).

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT VITUS

Vitus most beautiful, full of heavenly honey,

Before unbelievers, confesses Christ,

And mocks the lifeless idols

And the idolatrous darkened soothsayers.

Glorifies Christ, as the power of God,

To his father and to the judge, justice teaches,

But against him, both of them took up arms,

And for the young Vitus, torments prepared.

But God, His sufferers protects

And glorifies His glorifiers.

Vitus, in the face of the emperor, needed

To witness to the Lord Christ,

And in Rome, to suffer publicly,

That his name would be more glorified.

Little Vitus, the angels held,

Little Vitus, the angels led,

And his soul, the angels bore

Into Paradise took it and to God presented it.

REFLECTION

It is not always easy to conquer the spirit of vanity and conceit in oneself. In this, only the great spiritual directors have succeeded, primarily with God's grace, with constant vigilance over their souls and with very delicate spiritual sensitivities and distinctions. At one time, Abba Nisteroes was walking with one of his brethren. Suddenly, they spotted a serpent on the road. The brother quickly moved aside and the great Nisteroes fled after him. "Are you also afraid, father?" the monk asked Nisteroes. The elder replied: "No, my son, I am not afraid but I had to flee otherwise I would not have fled from the spirit of vanity." That is: "Had I remained in place, you would have been amazed at me and I would have become vain from that!"

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the miraculous healing of many who were sick: "And besought Him that they might only touch the hem of the His garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole" ( St. Matthew 14:36 ):

1. How many who were sick only touched the hem of the Lord's garment and were made whole;

2. How my soul can be healed if I touch the hem of His Body and Blood, as the physical garment of His Divinity.

HOMILY

About the poor man and his Creator

"He who mocks the poor, blasphemes his Maker (Creator)" (Proverbs 17:5 ).

If you are wealthy, in what are you wealthy, if not in the property of God? The things which constitute your wealth, whose are they, if not God's? Therefore, if you become proud in that which you possess, you become proud with the property of another, you become proud with that which is loaned to you by God. Why do you then mock the poor man who has less of someone else's property in his hands? Why do you mock him if he borrowed less from God than you? If he took less, he owes less; and you who took more, owe more. Not only should you not mock the poor man, you should admire him. Behold, he leads a struggle on the battlefield of this world with much less means than you. Both of you are soldiers, only you fight as a soldier abundantly equipped with all the needs and he fights naked and hungry. If the both of you succumb and surrender to your enemy, he will be judged more leniently than you. However, if you are both victorious, he will receive a greater reward than you and his victory will be more celebrated than yours.

He, who mocks the naked and hungry soldier, mocks his king. He, who mocks the poor, shames his Creator. If you know that the poor man's Creator is your Creator, the one and the same, you would not mock him. If you know that the poor man stands in the same military rank in which you are also, you will cover him, feed him and you will bring him closer to yourself.

O, Omnipotent Lord, boundless is Your wisdom in the economy of Your creation. Illumine us by Your Holy Spirit that we may marvel at that economy and, with reverence and love, gaze upon all of Your creation, gazing upon them through You.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

[尼古拉前执事]

1. SAINT TIKHON, BISHOP OF AMATHUS

Saint Tikhon was a miracle-worker. Following the death of Blessed Mnemonius, Tikhon was unanimously elected a bishop and consecrated by the renowned Epiphanius for the Diocese of Amathus. His purity of life and zeal for Orthodoxy recommended him for this office. There were still pagans on Cyprus at that time. With apostolic zeal St. Tikhon undertook to convert the unbelievers into believers. In that, he had great success. After lengthy labor in the vineyard of the Lord, Tikhon took up habitation in blessed eternity about the year 425 A.D. He was called a miracle-worker because of the many miracles he worked during his life. Tikhon's father was a baker. When his father left him alone in the store, he would distribute bread free of charge to the poor. Once, his father reproached him for this. Tikhon prayed to God and their granary was so filled with wheat that the door could not be opened without difficulty. Again, at another time, he planted withered branches of a vine and the vine became green and, in due time, brought forth fruit.

1. THE HOLY MARTYRS TIGRIUS AND EUTROPIUS

Tigrius and Eutropius were among the clergy of St. John Chrysostom. When evil men banished Chrysostom from Constantinople, the cathedral church [Hagia Sophia] was set on fire and a flame rose from it and fell upon the houses of the persecutors of this beacon of the Church. The people saw the finger of God in that but the enemies of Chrysostom attributed this fire to his adherents. Many of those who were accused suffered bitterly because of that, among them Tigrius, the presbyter and Eutropius, the reader. Optatius, the mayor of the city, an unbaptized Greek with particular malice, began a pursuit for Chrysostom's followers. Tigrius, in his youth, was a slave of a wealthy man who castrated him. Freeing himself of slavery, he dedicated himself completely to the service of the Church and in this service shone as a shining ray. Optatius subjected this "meek, humble, charitable and hospitable" man to great tortures and then banished him into exile to Mesopotamia where he died in prison. Eutropius, chaste from birth, pure, blameless and kind was beaten by oxen whips and by canes and finally hanged. When Christians took his body to bury it, sweet angelic singing was heard in the air.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT TIGRIUS, AND SAINT EUTROPIUS

Chrysostom, as an all-glorious eagle soars,

Beside him Tigrius and Eutropius the reader

As small eaglets, but strong and faithful,

Followed him, kind and innocent;

And helpless malice, viciousness uses,

The weak and the evil, the devil unites quickly.

The malicious rose up against the servants of God.

And on them, poured out a sea of mockery.

As arsonists, the men of God,

The wonderful martyrs, under torture were placed;

But, every suffering is for heroes

And even suffering despises those who are weak in virtue!

Tigrius, the Presbyter and Eutropius, the Reader

By torture, the truth of God, they confirm.

As arsonists, the heroes of God

Slain they were, innocent lambs!

Eaglets, after the eagle, they flew

And in Paradise sweet, to rest they fell.

And malice from the mud, yelp after the eagles

In mud, was it born, and in the mud it remains.

REFLECTION

In enumerating the miracles of the Christian Faith we need never forget the countless and great miracles of the changes of heart and dispositions of people truly converted to the Faith. How many are the enraged criminals that this Faith tamed! How many bloodthirsty robbers has the Faith transformed to innocent lambs! How many debauched ones has the Faith turned into chaste ones! How many persecuters has the Faith turned into defenders of the Faith! How many selfish avaricious men has the Faith taught compassion! How many fearful ones has the Faith directed on the road to extreme self-sacrifice! Metropolitan Philaret writes about Russian Prince Vladimir: "A lover of all pleasures; how this was not possible any longer for the pagan Vladimir in Christianity and he became a model of a chaste married life; he dismissed all women and lovers and lived with one, the devout Anna. An evil, vindictive and bloodthirsty fratricide in paganism, Vladimir, in Christianity, was the most compassionate friend of the poor. The poor always had access to him and he distributed both money and food with a generous hand." More than that: "the sick are unable to come to my palace," said he and ordered that meat, fish, bread, yeast and honey be carted about the streets. The Gospel words: "Blessed are the merciful" ( St. Matthew 5:7 ), penetrated into the depth of his heart and became his rule of life.

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the miraculous healing of the daughter of the woman of Canaan: "And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cried out unto Him saying: Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil" ( St. Matthew 15:22 ):

1. How the woman of Canaan perseveringly and repeatedly implored the Lord to save her daughter from the devil who tormented her;

2. How the Lord praised the faith of the woman and healed her daughter;

3. How the Lord can even free my soul from the devil who attacks my soul when it is in alienation from God only if we persistently pray to Him with faith.

HOMILY

About how death and life depend on the tongue

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21 ).

Did not our Lord Himself confirm this when He said that for every empty word men will give an answer before the Dread Judgment? Didn't He explicitly say: "But I tell you, that of every idle word men speak, they shall give account on the Day of Judgment. For by your words, you shall be justified and by your words, you shall be condemned" ( St. Matthew 12: 36-37 ). Whoever is justified will receive life. Whoever is condemned will receive death. Therefore, do you see how life and death are in the power of the tongue? The Apostle James says: "For in many things we all offend. If anyone does not offend in word, he is a perfect man, able also to lead round by a bridle the whole body" ( St. James 3:2 ).

Truly, great is the unexplored mystery of the word and the influence of the word cannot be measured nor estimated. Today the word of men can be carried by artificial instruments from one end of our planet to the other. A word spoken by the tongue in America can be heard by the ear in Europe. Is not this a picture of the All-hearing God? O my brethren, we cannot whisper anything here to the earth that the heavens are not going to hear. Our every word comes before the assembly of the angels of God. Hades receives our every evil word and retains it as a guarantee of our eternal death and Paradise receives every good word and retains it as a guarantee of our eternal life. Truly, does the Old Testament sage wisely speaks and promptly reminds us with the words that: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."

O Lord our Savior, eternal Word of God, help us to bridle our tongue so that it does not speak to our destruction. Help us to speak with the tongue only that which is according to Your holy will and that which is for our eternal salvation in the life eternal.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

[尼古拉前执事]

1. THE HOLY MARTYRS MANUEL, SABEL AND ISHMAEL

Manuel, Sabel and Ishmael were brothers born in Persia of a pagan father and a Christian mother. They were educated in the spirit of Christianity and were baptized. As Christians they were high-ranking officials at the court of King Alamundar. They were sent to Emperor Julian the Apostate to conduct negotiations and to confirm peace between the Persian and Graeco-Roman empires. The apostate emperor arranged some sort of blasphemous celebration in honor of the idols in Chalcedon. At this celebration, the emperor, with his noblemen, offered sacrifices to the idols. The Persian emissaries absented themselves from this celebration. The emperor summoned them and ordered that they also take part in the celebration and to offer sacrifices to the gods. They declared that they were foreign citizens and that they came as emissaries of the Persian king for the sake of establishing peace between the two empires and not for anything else; that they are Christians and that they consider it unworthy to worship dead idols and to offer them sacrifices. The emperor became enraged and cast them into prison. The next day, he brought them out and again began to dispute with them about faith, but the holy brothers were adamant and unwavering. They were then bound naked to trees, beaten and scraped with an iron brush. During the entire time of torturing they prayed to God with thanksgiving for their tortures: "O sweet Jesus these torments are sweet for the sake of Your love!" An angel of God appeared to them, comforted them and removed every pain from them. Contrary to all international relations, the wicked Emperor Julian finally pronounced judgment that the three brothers be beheaded. When they were beheaded, there was a great earthquake; the earth split and received the bodies of the holy martyrs so that the pagans could not burn their bodies as ordered by the emperor. After that the earth gave up the bodies of these martyrs so that Christians could find them and honorably bury them. Many miracles occurred over their relics which, when many pagans saw, they converted to the Christian Faith. When the Persian king, upon hearing how Julian inhumanely gave his emissaries over to death, he prepared an army against him. Convinced of victory, Julian set out against the Persian Empire but he was overwhelmingly defeated and perished in shame to the joy and ridicule of the entire world.

1. THE VENERABLE PIOR

Pior was a hermit [Silentary] in Nitria. Inflamed with love for God, Pior, at an early age, renounced the world and withdrew to the Egyptian wilderness where he heroically lived a life of asceticism. It is said that he never sat at the table to eat but that he always ate standing and working. When he was asked why he does this, St. Pior replied: "I do not want to be occupied with eating as an occupation but rather as something marginal." When they called him in council to judge a brother who had committed a sin, Pior arrived carrying a sack of sand on his back and on his chest a small bag of sand. Asked what does that mean, the saint replied: "The sack of sand on my back are my sins which I do not see and the bag of sand on my chest are the sins of my brother which I have to judge." All the brethren were then ashamed and cried out: "This is the path of salvation!" Pior lived to be a hundred years old and reposed in the Lord in the fourth century.

HYMN OF PRAISE

THE HOLY MARTYRS MANUEL, SABEL AND ISHMAEL

Of a Christian mother and a pagan father

Three blood brothers, wonderful peacemakers:

Manuel, Sabel and young Ishmael

Dead for Christ's sake, to earthly delight

To serve peace, voluntarily set out,

To unite in peace, the Persian and Greeks.

But Julian the cursed, servant of the devil,

Began to dispute with the three brothers about the Faith,

And offered the brothers, in Christ baptized,

To embrace his faith impure.

To the crowned beast, the brothers then replied:

To change our faith, for that reason we did not come,

But, peace to make, O emperor of the Greeks,

In the Son of God, we have faith.

The worse for the better can still be given

But better for worse, only the insane one can exchange.

The enraged emperor, in him, Hades burns,

In bitter torments, the three brothers slew.

But God the All-seeing, Who, the value of all knows

Against the evil emperor turned with anger;

Julian, the evil one, weak before God,

A shameful death died, everyone laughed,

Everyone laughed, who knew his pride

And through him, the weakness of injustice acknowledged.

REFLECTION

The adversaries of Christ, through their efforts against Christ, always achieved the opposite results. Instead of stopping the river of Christianity, they have widened it, deepened it and made it louder. Instead of drying Christianity up they have, so to speak, caused a flood throughout the entire world. Where one martyr fell, a company of Christians was created; where shame was committed, glory sprouted; where it was said the end of Christianity, there was the beginning of luxuriant crops. In spite of all international considerations and customs, Julian the Apostate, because of his insane idolatrous fanaticism, killed the Persian emissaries for peace; Manuel, Sabel and Ishmael. What did Julian accomplish by this? He multiplied the number of Christians, increased the number of martyrs and hastened his own end and the end of paganism. Directly and unwillingly, the apostate helped in the spreading and deepening of Christianity, not only by his evil persecution but also by his inadvertent statements. Thus in discussions with Christians, Julian stated: "Christ did nothing in His life that would merit glory, except if that is counted as a great deed, that He healed the lame, the blind and expelled demons!" O wretched Julian! As if the opening of the eyes of only one blind man by the powerful word alone was not a greater deed, than the subjugation of ten kingdoms! How valuable is it, that Julian, as the greatest traitor of Christ after Judas, recognized the miracles of Christ.

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the miraculous Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus: "And after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John his brother and brought them: up into a high mountain apart. And was transfigured before them" ( St. Matthew 17:1-2 ):

1. How the face of the transfigured Lord shone as the sun;

2. How, even I, darkened by sin, can shine by Christ's power and grace with the original radiance of sinless man.

HOMILY

About the punishment of those who bear false witness

"The false witness will not go unpunished and he who utters lies will perish" (Proverbs 19:9 ).

God and all the hosts of heaven see everything that happens in the world. Therefore, how can man conceal the truth from so many witnesses of the truth? And, not only do the heavenly hosts see the truth, but they also are zealous for the truth. Therefore, how can a mortal man go against the truth, which means, to go against the myriads of heavenly zealots for the truth? In truth, darkened in the mind is the one who thinks that he can conceal the truth and proclaim a lie instead of truth. When millions of discerning angels know the truth, can a man conceal the truth? Can someone rise up against the truth and not be punished? O my brethren, there is nothing more false than falsehood! Nothing more unsuccessful! Nothing more arrogant! Nothing more insane!

God and all the Hosts of heaven see that which occurs inside man. Especially the Guardian Angel of man sees that. And this Guardian Angel does not tolerate that man brings out from himself and about himself that which is not in him. If a man remains persistent in his lie, his Angel will abandon him and will turn him over completely to the spirits of lies. Then, woe to that man! Of what benefit is it to witness falsely against the entire world if his Angel would witness truthfully against him before God and the hosts of heaven! If would be better for that man if he had not been born. For, whoever lies, lies to the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God abandons the liar in darkness and death.

O Lord of Truth, sustain us by the power of Your Holy Spirit that we never witness falsely. Sweeten to us Your Holy Truth and turn away a false word from our tongue.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

[尼古拉前执事]

1. THE HOLY MARTYR LEONTIUS

Leontius was a Roman commander in Tripoli in Phoenicia during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. He was born in Hellas [Greece] "of great physical stature, powerful, strong and brave in battles." Hadrian, the imperial deputy, sent a military detachment to arrest Leontius, for Hadrian was a fierce adversary and persecutor of Christians. Hypatius, the senior officer of this detachment, became ill enroute with a bitter fever because of which the detachment had to slow down their march. One night an angel of God appeared to Hypatius and said to him: "If you want to be well, cry out three times toward heaven with all your soldiers: 'O God of Leontius help me!' "

Hypatius informed his companions of his vision and all in unison cried out as the angel instructed and immediately Hypatius became well. This miracle astonished all but especially Theodulus. Hypatius and Theodulus then went ahead of the other soldiers to seek Commander Leontius. Leontius received them graciously and served them. When he expounded his faith in Christ to them, their hearts burned with love for Christ and, at that moment, a bright cloud descended upon Hypatius and Theodulus and dew from a cloud descended upon them. That was the Holy Spirit of God Himself baptizing these converted souls and St. Leontius, at that moment, spoke these words: "In the name of the All-holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit." The evil Hadrian, learning that Hypatius and Theodulus became Christians, ordered that they be scourged without mercy and following that to be beheaded with an axe. And so, these two spiritual children of Leontius died.

Then Hadrian prescribed cruel tortures for Leontius but Leontius remained unwavering in his holy faith. His entire body was covered with wounds but he diligently prayed to God not to abandon him. In the midst of the cruelest torments, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, encouraged and comforted him. Finally, they knocked the martyr Leontius to the ground and beat him until he gave up his soul to God. The sufferings of St. Leontius was personally witnessed by Kir Notarius who recorded all that he saw on lead tablets and placed them in the martyr's grave. St. Leontius suffered honorably in the year 73 A.D.

1. THE VENERABLE LEONTIUS, THE DISCERNER

Leontius was of Greek descent from the Peloponnese. He lived a life of asceticism sixty years in the monastery Dionysiou [Mt. Athos] and entered into rest in the year 1605 A.D. being eighty-five years of age.

It is said that this saint entered the monastery only once and only once did he leave the monastery in sixty full years. That is: he entered when he first went to Dionysiou and departed when they carried him out to bury him. He possessed the miraculous gift of discernment and prophecy and following his death myrrh flowed from his relics.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT LEONTIUS

Leontius, the heart of a lion,

A lion's heart and name,

Of his God, he was not ashamed

But, before all, confessed Christ,

The Savior of the world, Christ the God.

Youth, strength and commandership scorned

For the sake of the truth of the Crucified Christ

And [Who] from death, resurrected gloriously.

Flattered, hosted, glorified and favored with gifts,

He, his God did not deny,

Flogged, spat upon, scraped and crucified,

He, his God, did not deny,

But, the greater the torment and ridicule

The flame of faith greater and brighter.

The Roman Empire and all the powers of Hades

Against him had turned,

But he knew that alone, he was not.

For, beside him, stood Christ.

A pillar of stone, amidst the angry reeds,

A pillar of fire among the slaves of darkness.

By his faith, he amazed the people,

To live eternally, his life he gave.

REFLECTION

A scientist examines natural phenomenon with great attention and we, with greater attention, should examine the phenomenons and the actions of the grace of God. Behold, what one of the great spiritual fathers' witnesses about the act of Holy Communion. Father John of Kronstadt writes: "I am amazed at the greatness and the life-giving power of divine Communion. An elderly woman, who was spitting blood and was so completely exhausted from not being able to eat anything, began to recover the day that she received Communion from me. A young girl close to death began to recover, eat, drink and speak after Communion whereas, before that, she was unconscious, in convulsions and did not eat or drink anything." O, if every priest, with the attention of a scientist and with the love of a prayerful man, did observe and follow the actions of the Grace of Holy Communion similar to Father John!

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the miraculous healing of the young man whom the devil tormented, at times throwing him into the fire and, at times, into the water: "Lord, have pity on my son: for he is a lunatic and suffers severely; for often times he falls into the fire and often times into the water" ( St. Matthew 17:14 ):

1. How the Lord rebuked the devil and the young man was made whole;

2. How even the evil spirit casts me at times into the fire of passions and at times into the water of carnality;

3. How even the Lord can save me from falling into the fire and into the water if only I pray to Him.

HOMILY

About God's indebtedness

"He who has compassion on the poor lends to God and He will repay Him for his good deed" (Proverbs 19:17 ).

The poor man who begs and the rich man who gives both are indebting the Lord, but only under the condition that the poor man begs in the name of the Lord with humility and that the rich man gives in the name of the Lord with compassion. Everyone who receives should know that he receives that which belongs to God and everyone who gives should know that he gives that which belongs to God. Such giving has a price and such receiving has a price. All of us enter this world naked and naked shall we leave this world. All of us are beggars before the Lord for we possess nothing that we have not received from the Lord. Therefore, give to the poor man as God as given to you. You take what is another's and you give to your own when you perform charity. The poor man is closer to you than all of your goods even as God, the Creator of men, every man is incomparably more precious than all of his goods. If you have been given riches, it was given to you for temptation: that your heart be tempted! That God and all the heavenly hosts see whether you understood from whom are all your riches and why they were given to you. Blessed are you if you know that your goods are from God and belong to God! Blessed are you if you consider the poor as your companions, among your family members and share with them from that which God has entrusted to you!

O how immeasurable is God's love for mankind! Behold, all that you have belongs to God but, nevertheless, God considers Himself your debtor if you take from Him and give to the poor and He will repay you for your good. What kind of mercy can be compared to this!

O Man-loving Lord, open our minds to understand the mystery of Your mercy and soften our hearts as wax, that as wax they burn and shine with the reflection of Your inexpressible mercy!

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

[尼古拉前执事]

1. THE HOLY APOSTLE JUDE

Saint Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles. He was the son of Joseph and Salome and the brother of James, the brother of the Lord. With Salome, the daughter of Angeja the son of Varahina, the brother of Zacharias, Joseph the carpenter had four sons: James, Hosea, Simon and Jude. This Jude is sometimes called: "Jude, the brother of James" because of his more famous brother ( St. Luke 6:16 Acts 1:14 ). St. Jude begins his epistle in this manner: "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James" ( St. Jude 1:1 ). Even though he could be called the brother of the Lord as much as James, he did not do this out of humility and shame for, in the beginning, he did not believe Christ the Lord. When the elder Joseph, before his death, wanted to leave a portion of his estate to Jesus as well as to his other children, all of them protested this, even Jude, only James voluntarily set aside a share of his portion and intended it for Jesus. Jude is also called Levi and Thaddeaus. There is another Thaddeaus of the Seventy Apostles (August 21) but this Thaddeaus or Jude was one of the Great Apostles. Jude preached the Gospel throughout Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Idumedia, Syria, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Armenia. In Edessa, the town of Abgar, he augmented the preaching of the other Thaddeaus. When Jude preached throughout the regions around Ararat he was captured by pagans, crucified on a cross and killed by being shot throughout with arrows to eternally reign in the Kingdom of Christ.

1. VENERABLE PAISIUS THE GREAT

Paisius was an Egyptian by birth and nationality. After a vision in a dream, his mother dedicated him to the service of God. As a young man, Paisius came to the Venerable Pambo who received him as his disciple and he was a co-disciple of Venerable John Kolovos [The Short] who wrote the biography of Paisius. To the joy of his spiritual father, Paisius exerted labor after labor and mortification after mortification. Many times the Prophet Jeremiah, whom he especially loved and often read, appeared to him; even the angels of God often appeared to him; even the Lord Christ Himself appeared to him. "Peace be with you my beloved chosen one!" the Lord Christ said to him. By the great grace of God, Paisius possessed the special gift of abstaining from food. Often he did not taste bread for fifteen days, more often for a week and once, in the witness of St. John the Short, he went for seventy days without partaking of anything. He waged a great struggle with the spirits of evil, who appeared to him at times exactly as they are and, at times in the form of radiant angels. But the blessed servant of God did not permit himself to be deceived and fascinated. Paisius was famous throughout Egypt as a discerner and miracle-worker. He took up habitation in eternity in the year 400 A.D. The Venerable Isidore of Pelusium translated the relics of Paisius to his monastery and honorably buried them.

1. THE HOLY MARTYR ZOSIMUS

Zosimus was a Roman soldier during the reign of Emperor Trajan. He courageously confessed his faith in Christ the Lord for which he endured cruel tortures. In the midst of his tortures, he heard a voice from heaven saying: "Be brave Zosimus and sign yourself with the cross, I am with you!" Angels of God appeared to him in prison. After many tortures, Zosimus was beheaded in the year 116 A.D.

1. VENERABLE JOHN THE HERMIT [ANCHORITE]

John lived a life of asceticism in the sixth century in the proximity of Jerusalem. Through his mortification, he achieved a high degree of purity and power so that even the wild beasts were submissive to him. John reposed in the Lord in extreme old age in the year 586 A.D.

HYMN OF PRAISE

VENERABLE PAISIUS THE GREAT

Paisius the great, from the earliest age

Behind him, the doors of all desires, he closed.

The spirit to God lifted, to that, the only desire,

As all the great saints of old.

Wonderful Paisius, the monks asked:

Which virtue to God is more pleasing?

That which is hidden! to them, Paisius replied,

And that which is expressed, to God is not pleasing.

When Paisius, by his life, glorified God

To him, the Glorified Lord Christ appeared:

Peace be to you, chosen one, what do you wish, tell me,

According to your wish, it will be, ask and receive!

When from the Lord, these words he heard

Paisius gave himself over to weeping as a child.

O gentle Lord, a man of great sin am I,

And that which is made known, to God is not pleasing.

And because of my many sins; very inconsolable am I,

According to Your mercy, forgive me my sins

All that I have sinned O God from early youth,

And for future times, grant me strength

That from new sins, the yoke, I do not burden.

That to the end of my life, Your will I do

With greater love for You to burn.

The Lord, this prudent desire fulfilled for him

And to His saint, granted a blessing.

REFLECTION

The monks once inquired of Paisius the Great: "Father, speak to us a word of salvation and how, according to God, we should live?" The elder replied to them: "Go and keep the commandments of God and preserve the traditions of the Fathers." The tradition of the Fathers is the experience of the saints in the spiritual field, the enormous experience of nearly two-thousand years, the experience of many hundreds and thousands of holy men and women. What a very rich depository of wisdom! What kind of an immense mass of proofs of every truth of Holy Scripture! All of that wealth, all of that wisdom, all of those proofs, all of this experience the Protestants have rejected! O madness inexpressible! O, the poverty of beggars!

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the miraculous healing of the two blind men:"

"And behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, heard that Jesus was passing by, and cried out, saying: 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!' " ( St. Matthew 20:30 ):

1. How the two blind men cried out to the Lord: "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!";

2. How the merciful Lord touched their eyes and they saw;

3. How I also am blinded by sin; and how even I can see if I cry out to the Lord to touch me.

HOMILY

About revenge and the Avenger

"Say not, I will repay evil! Trust in the Lord and He will help you" (Proverbs 20:22 ).

Do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil. The evil from your neighbor is sufficient. If you return evil for evil to him, you will double the evil in the world. If you do not return evil for evil to him, he can still burn out his evil through repentance. Thus, you will reduce evil in the world through patience and forgiveness.

Do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil. "But wait on the Lord," He sees and remembers and, in your time, even you and your evil doer will know that God sees and remembers. You ask yourself: What have I done in that I have not returned evil for evil? You have done the wisest deed that you could do in the given situation, i.e.; you have relinquished your struggle to the One Stronger than yourself and the Stronger will victoriously fight for you. If you enter into battle with the evil doer you might be defeated. But God cannot be defeated. Therefore, relinquish your struggle to the Victorious and Undefeated One and patiently wait.

Learn from a small child. If someone attacks a child in the presence of his parents, the child does not return the attack by attacking but rather looks at his parents and cries. The child knows that his parents will protect him. How is it that you do not know what a little child knows? Your heavenly Parent is constantly beside you. That is why, do not be vengeful; do not return evil for evil rather look at your Parent and cry. Only in this way will you guarantee victory for yourself in conflict with evil men.

O Almighty Lord Who said: "Vengeance is Mine" ( Romans 12:19 Hebrews 10:30 ), protect us from the unrighteous ones by Your almighty hand and restrain us from vengeance. Counsel us by Your Holy Spirit that the greater heroism is to endure rather than to avenge.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

[尼古拉前执事]

1. THE HOLY MARTYR METHODIUS, BISHOP OF PATARA

From his youth, Methodius dedicated himself to asceticism and, as a city on a hill, was seen and summoned to the episcopacy in the city of Patara in Lycia. As a learned and eloquent hierarch, Methodius wrote against the heresy of Origen. His "God-inspired words shown throughout the entire world as lightning." The pagans rose up against him, tortured him and beheaded him in Chalcis in Syria in the year 311 A.D.

1. THE HOLY MARTYRS ARISTOCLES, DIMITRIANUS AND ATHANASIUS

Aristocles was a priest of the cathedral church in the town of Tamasus on Cyprus and lived a God-pleasing life. Because of his great zeal for the Faith, Aristocles was made worthy of a voice from heaven instructing him to go to Salamis in Cyprus and to receive the wreath of martyrdom. Dimitrianus the deacon and Athanasius the reader accompanied him. Arriving at Salamis, these men of God began to preach Christ. The pagans seized them and after torturing them, Aristocles was beheaded and Dimitrianus and Athanasius were burned alive in the year 306 A.D.

1. THE VENERABLE NAHUM OF OHRID

Nahum's principle feast is celebrated on December 23 and June 20 is his summer feast (Life of St. Nahum December 23). During the summer feast there is a great assembly of people at the monastery of St. Nahum. Many sick people come or are brought to beseech healing through faith and prayer over the relics of the saint. Not only Orthodox people but also those from other faiths come to seek favor from St. Nahum. In 1926, a Muslim from Resna brought and donated a bell to the monastery out of thanksgiving because St. Nahum healed his brother from his deathbed and restored him to life. The donor was Jemail Zizo and his brother, who was healed, was called Suleiman Zizo. Both were prominent citizens of Resna.

1. SAINT KALLISTOS I, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE

As a disciple of Gregory Sinaite, Kallistos lived a life of asceticism for twenty-eight years on Mt. Athos in the Scete of Magoula at the monastery Philotheou. He later founded the monastery of St. Mamas. He was elected patriarch of Constantinople in the year 1350 A.D. After four years he withdrew from the patriarchal throne and again returned to Mt. Athos. During the reign of John Paleologus, he was again returned to the throne where, as patriarch, he remained until his death. He died in the year 1368 A.D. enroute to Serres where he traveled to meet the Servian Empress Helena who came to seek help against the Turks. In the company of Ignatius, he complied a beautiful guide [manual] for ascetics. In addition to this, he wrote the hagiography of St. Gregory Sinaite and St. Theodosius of Trnovo as well as numerous homilies. It is interesting to note how St. Maximus of Kapsokalyvia prophesied the death of Patriarch Kallistos. On his way to Serbia, Kallistos traveled through the Holy Mountain. Seeing him, St. Maximus said: "This elder will never see his flock again for behind him is heard the funeral chant: "Blessed are the undefiled in the way' " ( Psalm 119:1 ).

1. SAINT LEUCIUS, BISHOP OF THE CITY OF BRINDISI [ITALY]

Leucius was born in Alexandria and, at the early age, entered a monastery. He was made worthy of great revelations and powerful grace so that he resurrected the dead and drove out demons from men. At first, he was a bishop of Alexandria and, by command from heaven, Leucius crossed over to Italy to the pagan town of Brindisi, which he completely baptized and built a church to the Mother of God. After many and successful labors he took up habitation in eternity during the reign of Emperor Theodosius II, in the fifth century.

1. BLESSED STUDIOS

Studios was a prominent patrician and consul in Constantinople. He founded the church of St. John the Forerunner near the Golden Gates and a monastery named Studion after him. This monastery became famous for the many glorious men, spiritual fathers, ascetics and many who suffered for the Faith [martyrs], the most famous of which was St. Theodore the Studite. The Latin Crusaders destroyed this monastery in 1204 A.D. but Emperor Constantine Paleologue Porphyrogenitus rebuilt it in the year 1293 A.D. A Turkish mosque stands on that place today.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT LEUCIUS

Leucius, Leucius, heart whitened.

In the Book of Life, of blessed name,

Memory of you in the heavens will eternally be

And on earth the Church will glorify you!

Such a voice, Leucius from the heavens heard

And a sweet-smelling peace, his voiced calmed.

Against Leucius the holy, the black devil arose

But Leucius against him [Devil], with the cross rose up,

Of demonic arrows, he was not wounded

But by the power of God, all the power of the devil he destroyed.

To the good shepherd, God gave him the power,

By that, preserved the flock in sinful Egypt.

And yet, he founded the Church in Brindisi

And instructed the people to protect the will of God

Many people he baptized and noblemen glorious,

And, with the torch of the Orthodox Faith, and enlightened all,

By his miracles, astonished the whole world,

And then to the Lord departed, the wreath of glory to receive.

REFLECTION

Saint Cyprian writes about immortality: "Whenever a famous man promises you something, you would believe his promise and would not even dare to think that he who was always faithful to his word would deceive you. But behold, O treacherous one, God Himself speaks to you and you are wavering with doubt. God promised you immortality after your departure from this world and you impudently doubt that promise? This means: you do not recognize God at all: it means that by your unbelieving you insult Christ the Lord and Teacher." O how powerful is the faith of the saints of God! How obvious and understandable and well explained it is with simple and powerful examples! The unholy do not doubt because they are supposedly more rational but because they are unholy. The holier man is always more rational for in the clear mirror of his heart, he sees the truth.

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the miraculous withering of the unfruitful fig tree: "And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he came up to it and found nothing on it but leaves; and He said to it, 'May no fruit ever come from you henceforth forever!' And immediately the fig tree withered up" ( St. Matthew 21:19 ):

1. How the Lord cursed the fig tree with many leaves but without fruit and the fig tree withered up;

2. How even my life with many leaves - bodily cares, desires and thoughts - and without spiritual fruit, can come under the same curse if I do not amend my ways.

HOMILY

About how our salvation is in the hands of God

"The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but salvation is in the Lord" (Proverbs 21:31 ).

We are obligated to prepare ourselves but our success depends on God. All of our preparation is only a proposal to God but the proposal does not decide, but God decides. That is why people wisely say according to their experience: man proposes and God disposes. O Soldier of Christ, prepare your mind as a good horse, arm your heart with virtues, temper your will with mortifications, but know - that "salvation is in the Lord." O Merchant of Christ, practice good trade every day, exchanging the material for the spiritual, the earthly for the heavenly and mortality for immortality, but know - that "salvation is in the Lord." O Plowman of Christ, plow and re-plow your soul, sow the good evangelical seed on it every day, weed out the field of your soul from weeds, watch over it, but know that "salvation is in the Lord." A horse did not help the pharaoh in the Red Sea. Neither did the riches of Babylon help in the day of reckoning with God. A person can prepare all but, nevertheless, in that decisive moment can lose everything. For salvation is not in preparation, but in the Lord. That is why the saints, even though most prepared for the Kingdom of God and, in their hour of death, sighed not knowing whether they will be received into the Kingdom. O how well they remember the words of the Lord: "When you have done everything that was commanded you, say: 'We are unprofitable servants!' " ( St. Luke 17:10 ). Brethren, let us be prepared for the day of temptation, well girded and armed but let us not hope in our own preparation, but in the Lord.

O Lord our Savior, help us and save us.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

[尼古拉前执事]

1. THE HOLY MARTYR JULIAN OF TARSUS

Julian was of noble and senatorial origin. He lived in Tarsus in Cilicia and suffered during the reign of Diocletian. Even though he was only eighteen years of age when he was subjected to torture for the Faith, St. Julian was sufficiently educated and strengthened in Christian piety. The imperial deputy led him from town to town for an entire year torturing him and all the time trying to persuade him to deny Christ. Julian's mother followed her son from a distance. When the deputy seized Julian's mother and sent her to counsel her son to deny Christ, for three days in prison she spoke the opposite advice, teaching him and encouraging him not to despair in spirit but with thanksgiving and courage go to his death. The torturers then sewed Julian in a sack with sand, scorpions and serpents and tossed the sack into the sea and Julian's mother also died under torture. His relics were tossed by the waves to the shore and the faithful translated them to Alexandria and honorably buried them in the year 290 A.D. Later, St. Julian's relics were translated to Antioch. Later on, St. John Chrysostom, himself, delivered a eulogy [an oration of praise] for the holy martyr Julian. St. John Chrysostom said: "From the mouth of the martyr proceeded a holy voice and, together with the voice, a light emanated brighter than the rays of the sun." Further, he added: "Take anyone, be it a madman or one possessed, and bring him to the grave of this saint where the relics of the martyr repose and you will see how he [the demon] without fail will leap out and flee as from a burning fire." It is obvious from these words how numerous miracles must have taken place at the grave of St. Julian.

1. THE VENERABLES JULIUS AND JULIAN

Julius and Julian were brothers from the Greek province of Mirmidonia. From childhood they were reared in Christianity with the vow that they will always live in chastity and serve the Church. Julius was a presbyter and Julian a deacon. They received a decree [grammata] from Emperor Theodosius the Younger to destroy pagan temples and to build Christian churches throughout the empire. These two brothers, as two apostles, converted non-Christians to Christianity throughout the east and west [of the empire] and built churches. They built over one hundred churches during their lifetime. They reposed peacefully in the Lord near Milan. The inhabitants of Milan invoke the help of St. Julius against wolves.

1. THE HOLY MARTYR ARCHIL [ ARCHILIOS] II, KING OF GEORGIA

Archil was the son of King Stephen and the grandson of the great Georgian King Wakahtang Gorgaslan. King Archil, a great Christian and a defender of Christianity, was tortured by the Muslims and beheaded for Christ on March 20, 744 A.D. He was eighty years old when he suffered for the Lord and took up habitation in blessed eternity.

1. THE HOLY MARTYR LUARSAB II, PRINCE OF KARTLI IN GEORGIA

Luarsab's father, George X, suffered for the Faith and was poisoned by a Persian Shah. Luarsab, however, was cast into prison near Shiraz where he languished for seven years. Then, by order of Shah Abbas I, he was hanged in prison with two of his servants on July 21, 1622 A.D. A heavenly light was seen over his grave.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT JULIUS AND SAINT JULIAN

When Julius and his brother Julian

To the Most-high God built

The ninety-ninth church,

Julian, then a tomb constructed

For his brother, holy Julius

And, when to the brother, the grave he showed,

Julius to him, meekly spoke:

Prepare yourself, my brother in the flesh,

This grave for you, was built,

Prepare yourself before God to go,

Before your brother the sinful Julius.

And God, to Julius designated

A hundredth church, yet to build

On a certain isolated island.

As the most glorious Julius said,

As he said, so it happened,

Before the older, the younger brother rested in peace,

And the older brother, the hundredth church added,

And when the hundredth, on the island, he built,

Then he, also, in eternity took up habitation.

REFLECTION

When a man begins to train himself in keeping silent, silence to him seems to be lesser than speech; but when he is trained in silence then he knows that speech is lesser than silence. A monk said to St. Sisoes: "I would like to preserve my heart but I cannot," to which the elder responded: "How can we preserve the heart when the gate to our heart the tongue stands open?" Charillos, the nephew of Lycurgus, was once asked why his uncle issued so few laws. He replied: "For those who speak little, many laws are not needed."

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the miraculous healing of the blind Bartimeus: "And they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a very great crowd, Bartimeus, a blind man the son of Timeus, was sitting by the wayside begging" ( St. Mark 10:46):

1. How Bartimeus cried out to the Lord with faith for healing and the Lord healed him;

2. How, even I, blinded in the soul sit by the road which the Lord passes by and, if I cry out to Him, He will heal me.

HOMILY

About sowing and reaping

"He who sows iniquity reaps calamity [suffering]" (Proverbs 22:8) .

If you commit an iniquity, perhaps suffering [calamity] may pass you by the very day when you commit the iniquity but suffering [calamity] has heard the voice of iniquity and unavoidably will come in its day.

Some sowing is sweet and some sowing is bitter. Some sowing resembles life but the fruit and reaping of that sowing is death.

Pay attention and learn from Holy Scripture: Eve sowed iniquity through disobedience and pain in childbirth befell her.

Cain sowed iniquity through fratricide and pain and sleepless wandering throughout the earth befell him.

Sodom and Gomorrah sowed iniquity and reaped the pain of a horrible death.

The sons of Eli the High Priest sowed iniquity for they committed a desecration along side the Ark of the Covenant and they reaped suffering for they bitterly lost their lives in battle.

Call to mind Saul, his iniquity and his sufferings. Then again, call to mind Ahab and Jezebel. And again, call to mind Herod and Judas. Then again, call to mind today and yesterday and the days before yesterday and every other day gone by and listen to the words of every day: "He who sows iniquity reaps calamity [suffering]!" Is there a village in the world in which this teaching is not put before its eyes? Is there a roof which, beneath it, does not conceal such a teaching? Is there any living man who has not witnessed this teaching in the living examples around him?

O All-wise Lord, if we did not know Your will we would be less responsible.

But since You gave us to know Your will, O All-merciful One, grant us the strength to fulfill it throughout all the days of our lives.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.