Getting to know the Saints: Tell us about your patron saint!

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Brigid of Keldare
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St Brigid of Kildare

Post by Brigid of Keldare »

A Gift of Hospitality - Saint Brigid, Abbess of Kildare


The life of Saint Brigid of Ireland offers us new insight into the virtue of hospitality, the cheerful, generous giving of food and shelter. We know that this virtue is praised throughout the Scriptures. The hospitality of Abraham to three young men who visited him was revealed to be offered to none other than the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. In fact, it is in the forms of these three young visitors that the Holy Trinity is most often represented in iconography. Our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to offer hospitality when He said:

For I was hungry and ye gave Me meat:
I was thirsty and ye gave Me drink:
I was a stranger and ye took Me in....
(Matt. 26:35, 40)

Of course, the law of nature also urges us to generously provide for the traveller who has no place to lay his head, and so hospitality, even without the love of Christ, has become an important facet of civilized culture. In pre-Christian Ireland every freeman was required by secular law to provide hospitality to anyone of or below his own class who asked it of him. The type and quality of food and shelter he was obliged to offer varied depending on the class of his guest, but he was expected to provide well for noble and low-born alike, or be subjected to heavy fines as well as social ostracism. Saint Brigid took this legal and social obligation of her people and, by infusing it with the love of Christ, transformed it into a holy rule and a godly art.

Brigid was born at Faughart in County Down in 452, less than fifty years after the beginning of Saint Patrick's widespread missionary efforts among the Irish. At the time of her birth, the faith was just starting to grow great in the hearts of the Irish people. But by the end of her life, and partly through her efforts, her land would become holy Ireland, a land of saints and scholars, a land of monasteries from which missionaries would go forth to all of Europe and beyond.

As if to ensure that she would understand and care for all people both law-born and high, Brigid was born the daughter of a king and a slave. Her father was Dubtach a pagan chieftain, and her mother was his Christian bondswoman. Brigid was raised to be, as her mother, a servant and a Christian. Dubtach's jealous wife forced him to sell Brigid's mother before the babe was born, and so Brigid was raised in the household of a druid of Faughart. This druid had a Christian uncle who recognized and supported the piety of the young Brigid. Although she often suffered want, she was kind to both people and animals, and especially to the poor, for whom she provided as best she could from her own humble circumstances. At the age of about ten she chose to return to her father's house, where she lived well and acquired a nobility of bearing which no doubt was an asset to her in her later position of leadership, for the Irish of her time were a people acutely aware of social status.

Brigid's truest nobility, however, was in her generosity. At her father's home, she shocked the household by distributing to the poor most of the food at her disposal. Furthermore, she later decided to return to a life of slavery in order to help her mother who had become ill. Taking over her mother's work in the dairy, Brigid would divide the butter she churned into thirteen parts, one for each of the twelve apostles and one larger part of Our Lord, which she would distribute to the poor. When her druid master discovered her generosity with hisgoods, he came to the dairy to confront her. She welcomed him, washed his feet, and prepared food for him. The druid could see nothing amiss, yet he determined to test Brigid and commanded her to fill a great vessel with butter Finding that she did not have enough butter to fulfill his request (because she had given so much to the needy), Brigid began to pray:

O my Prince
Who canst do all these things,
Bless O God... My kitchen with thy right hand:

My kitchen, the kitchen of the white God.
A kitchen which my King hath blessed,
A kitchen that hath butter.

Mary's son, my Friend, cometh
To bless my kitchen.
The Prince of the world to the border,
May we have abundance with him.1


Abundance is indeed what she received. Through her prayers the butter multiplied in such large amounts that her druid master was brought to believe in Christ through the miracle. He freed her mother, and served Brigid for the rest of his life. He also heaped gifts upon Brigid, including the butter and all his cows, but she had prayed for abundance not for herself but for others, so she distributed her own wealth among the poor even more freely than she had distributed his.

In fact, many of the incidents of Brigid's life involve her being blessed with plenty so that she could give it away. So it was even with the blessing of her legendary beauty. Brigid was tall and regal of stature, with fair white skin and golden hair, a true celtic beauty. So when her father, irate at what he considered her irresponsible generosity with his goods, determined to marry her off, he had no trouble finding a good match. But Brigid refused not only the young poet her father chose for her but the idea of marriage altogether, insisting that she must belong only to God. When her father tried to force her to marry, she disfigured her face so that no man would want her. At this Dubtach acquiesced, and Brigid was tonsured a nun at about the age of eighteen by Moel, bishop of Armagh. When she was allowed thus to give herself to Christ, her face was restored to its former beauty.

At this time no monasteries for women existed in Ireland, and only a few for men. Women who were consecrated as nuns had to struggle to live their monastic calling while in secular households. But Brigid determined to offer these women a place of refuge and, in the same year of her tonsure, 470 A.D., she gathered together seven other nuns and approached the local king to petition a piece of land upon which to build a monastery. It is told that, when he refused, she said that she would be content with whatever her mantle would cover. He in whose name Brigid provided for others again provided for her, causing her mantle to spread out until it covered the Curragh, a huge expanse of open, fertile land which can be seen in County Kildare to this day. There Brigid founded Kildare monastery, Ireland's first monastery for women, which became a great center of piety, learning, craftsmanship, and, of course, hospitality.

The virtue of hospitality aflame with the love of Christ was one especially important to Saint Brigid as Abbes of Kildare. From the fifth to the ninth century in Ireland, monasteries were not only places where men and women turned their hearts away from the world and toward the things of God. They were also centers, heart centers if you will, for both the spritual and cultural lives of those pious people living in the world. The early Celtic Church was administered not through the Roman form of the diocese, but through the eastern form of the monastic family or parish. (Of course, since the Great Schism had not yet occurred, all of Christendom both western and eastern belonged to the one, holy, catholic and orthodox Church.) The Celtic Church was a monastic Church. Throughout the Celtic countries were scattered monasteries, increasingly more as Christianity grew stronger, which were the center of commerce, learning, and cultural life as well as of spritual life. The governing head of the monastery was the abbot or abbess, while sometimes an additional bishop cared for the sacramental needs of the people.

Because neither cities nor hotels existed, these monasteries were important stopping places for travellers. In fact, they were usually situated on or near main routes, and so were convenient places of rest.2 As in a secular home the kitchen or hearth is the heart-center, where a virtuous woman offers warmth and nourishment to the weary laborer or traveller, so the monastery was a heavenly heart-center, where men and women of God received their world-weary brethren and fed them with both the food of heaven and the good things of the earth in Christ's name. The words "heart" and "hearth" are almost identical, as are their Anglo-Saxon root words, "heort" and "heroth". The welcoming hearth of the monastery was truly the heart of Ireland in both a spiritual and a material sense. And so Mother Brigid was both nun and dairy-maid, both abbess and hostess, and is venerated today in all of these capacities.

Only a few facts regarding Kildare monastery remain to us today. We know that it began as a small monastic house for women only, but that, as all that Brigid put her hand to, it quickly grew great. Soon it was a large double monastery for both men and women, and Abbess Brigid asked a bishop, Saint Conleth, to reside there to minister to their sacramental needs. Saint Conleth was a metal craftsman who taught the monks the fine art of metallurgy, and Kildare became known for its exquisite chalices, missal covers, and other sacramental objects. In addition, beautiful illuminated manuscripts and books were produced there.

Both the women and the men participated in hard manual labor, caring for cows and sheep, tending the dairy, and raising vegetables. The women spun and wove the material for the simple monastic clothing as well as for the fine vestments and altar cloths. Abbess Brigid provided an example for them by tending her own cows and sheep, churning, spinning, and weaving. Their own diet was most probably a very simple one consisting of bread, milk products, vegetables and occasionally fish, but for guests it was an established practice to prepare the finest and tastiest dishes that they were able.

From our knowldge of other monasteries of their time, we can assume that Kildare's monks and nuns kept the hours of prayer, which centered on the chanting of the Psalms, and that they spent much time in study not only of the Scriptures but also of uplifting literature in Gaelic, Latin, and Greek, so that the atmosphere into which a guest was received was scholarly and cultured as well as holy.

We also know something about Kildare and, by inference, about Brigid herself, from what her seventh-century biographer Cogitosus wrote about the church that she erected there. He describes it as many-windowed building of generous proportions whose walls were covered with beautiful paintings (which most certainly were icons). Its iconostasis was adorned with linen hangings; fine objects of gold and silver also beautified this house of God. Such spaciousness and lavish decorations were not at all typical of the churches of this period. Katherine Scherman, in The Flowering of Ireland, notes that no other churches of its time compare to it, and suggests that its largeness and ornateness are a monument to the generosity and fervor of Brigid's nature.

In addition to the facts which come down to us about Saint Brigid and the monastery she founded, we have a rich store of pious legend passed on through the centuries by those who have loved and venerated her. Many of these stories bear witness to Brigid's largeness of heart and openness of hand. It is told, for example, how, when seven bishops came to Kildare to visit her, she was shamed to discover that she had no food with which to receive them. When she prayed hard for help, angels visited her and bade her to milk her cows for the third time that day. Ordinarily a third milking would yield next to no milk, but when Brigid obediently milked her cows the vessels overflowed with milk and she had more than plenty for her guests.

A wonderful poem attributed to Saint Brigid tells of the things she most wished for. If it was not composed by the Saint herself, than surely by someone who loved her and knew well her nature:

I would wish a great lake of ale for the King of Kings;
I would wish the family of heaven to be drinking it throughout life and time.
I would wish the men of Heaven in my own house;
I would wish vessels of peace to be given to them.
I would wish joy to be in their drinking;
I would wish Jesu to be here among them.
I would wish the three Marys of great name;
I would wish the people of heaven from every side.
I would wish to be a rent-payer to the Prince; the way if I was in trouble He would give me a good blessing.3

It is said that the Lord would grant Brigid anything she would ask, and that what she desired was always the same-"to satisfy the poor, to banish every hardship, and to save every sorrowful man."4 It seems that in her love for others Saint Brigid truly forgot herself and allowed the loving providence of God to sustain her.

The ancient Book of Lismore records that Saint Brigid was "abstinent, she was innocent, she was prayerful, she was paitent: she was glad in God's commandments: she was firm, she was loving: she was a consecrated casket for keeping Christ's body and His blood: she was a temple of God, her heart and mind were a throne of rest for the Holy Ghost."5 Surely such fervent love for God was the first cause and sustaining power of her love for others and the Christian hospitality she gave them. This is what makes the difference between a philanthropist and a saint, for it was not only food, drink, and lodging which Brigid provided, but the blessings of God upon all who came to her door. And, conversely, it was Christ that she saw and loved and provided for in everyone. She is quoted as saying: "It is in the name of Christ that I feed the poor, for Christ is in the body of every poor man."6

The hospitality of Saint Brigid, a giving in and of Christian charity, offered such a powerful example that it set the standard for the hospitality of the Irish people, as is reflected in the Irish Rune of Hospitality:

I saw a stranger yestreen;
I put food in the eating place,
drink in the drinking place,
music in the listening place,
and in the name of the Triune
he blessed myself and my house,
my cattle and my dear ones, and the lark said in her song
often, often, often,
goes the Christ in the stranger's guise,
often, often, often,
goes the Christ in the stranger's guise.

May we follow Saint Brigid's example and receive the Christ in the stranger's guise. Saint Brigid, pray to God for us.


(Troparion, tone 1 )

O holy Brigid, thou didst become sublime through thy humility/ and didst fly on the wings of thy longing for God. /When thou didst arrive in the Eternal City and appear before thy Divine Spouse, wearing the crown of virginity,/ thou didst keep thy promise to remember those who have recourse to thee. / Thou dost shower grace upon the world, and dost multiply miracles./ Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls


Mary Dugan Doss
The author is of Irish descent, a convert to Orthodoxy

http://www.roca.org/OA/107/107e.htm

Icons of St. Brigid:
http://www.comeandseeicons.com/cap11.htm
http://www.holycross-hermitage.com/page ... _album.htm
http://www.odox.net/Icons-Brigid.htm##1

Troparion of St Brigid of Kildare Tone 1
O holy Brigid, thou didst become sublime through thy humility,/ and
didst fly on the wings of thy longing for God./ When thou didst arrive
in the eternal City and appear before thy Divine Spouse,/ wearing the
crown of virginity,/ thou didst keep thy promise/ to remember those who
have recourse to thee./ Thou dost shower grace upon the world, and dost
multiply miracles./ Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our
souls.

Kontakion of St Brigid Tone 4
The holy virgin Brigid full of divine wisdom,/ went with joy along the
way of evangelical childhood,/ and with the grace of God/ attained in
this way the summit of virtue./ Wherefore she now bestows blessings upon
those who come to her with faith./ O holy Virgin, intercede with Christ
our God/ that He may have mercy on our souls.

Arsenios
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Arsenius the Roman (the Great)

Post by Arsenios »

Arsenius was born around 355CE into a rightoues and wealthy senatorial family of (old) Rome. He was given an extensive education, and was ordained a deacon in the Church of Rome (and later arch-deacon) by Pope Damasus. In about 383CE Arsenius became the tutor of the sons of Emperor Theodosius, Arcadius and Honorius. He was said to be handsome, tall and slender, having an air of majesty about him. In about 394CE, after the death of his parents, Arsenius and his sister Afrositty sold all that they had, giving the money to the poor, and devoted themselves to an ascetic life (Some sources say that he made this decision after hearing Matt. 16:26 and meditating on it).

After sailing to Egypt Arsenius went to Scetis and came under the guidance of Abba John the Dwarf. He apparently had few disciples, though he was one of the more famous monks in the Church; the reason for this was that Arsenius led a saintly life, but rarely ever spoke with or saw anyone. Despite his great education Arsenius rarely discussed theology or wrote letters, and would often remain silent when visited. Arsenius stayed in Scetis for about 40 years, until it was destroyed in 434CE.

During this time he became one of the most austere monks in the Church, though because of his upbringing he did have a few more problems and bad tendencies that needed eliminated than most monks (e.g., mannerisms such as sitting cross-legged) After the destruction of Scetis, Arsenius became a hermit, and eventually settled in Troe and remained until his death at the age of 90. During his time as a monk Arsenius was said to have a beard down to hist waist. He was slightly bent in old age, with his hair all white. He wore a tunic, a hair-shirt, and palm-leaf sandals, and these were the only possessions he had when he died.

Arsenius' austerity was so great that, in spite of his decidedly reclusive lifestyle, he became famous throughout the Church (e.g., people from Rome made trips specifically to see him... though they were let down when they got there and he would not see him). He would often do things so as to not be distracted by others, such as sitting behind a pillar at the Church services. He considered sleep a luxury, stealing some rest only when exhaustion forced him to. On Saturday nights he would stand and turn his back to the setting sun and begin praying, not stopping until the sun came up the next morning.

Arsenius also had the grace known as "the gift of tears," and not only wept constantly over his own shortcomings, but also for the souls of those he had met during life. "They used to say of Abba Arsenius that no one could keep up with the manner of his observance." (Columba Stewart, The World of the Desert Fathers, (Cistercian Publications, 1986), p. 32)

Here is more on Arsenius including some sayings: http://www.geocities.com/amricanarseniu ... usbio.html

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Post by 尼古拉前执事 »

From The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints, Volume 1: September,
compiled by St. Demetrius of Rostov

Our holy monastic father Euphrosynus was born of simple parents although he surpassed even those of noble lineage in good works. For there are many who are devoid of good works, despite their noble birth, and so are cast down into Hades while the simple in their humility are lifted up to paradise by God as was the godly Euphrosynus. Because of his virtuous life he was translated to paradise, as we will see, and was shown to be an inhabitant there.

Euphrosynus lived in a monastery where he served the brethren, laboring in the kitchen and serving them with great humility and submissiveness as though they were not men but God Himself. He labored in obedience day and night, but he never left off praying and fasting. His patience was inexpressible. He bore much abuse and disparagement and suffered frequent vexations. Scorched by the material fire of the cookstove, he was warmed by the spiritual fire of the love of God, and his heart burned with longing for the Lord. While passing his days preparing food for the brethren, he at the same time prepared a table for himself in the kingdom of God by his virtuous life, where he would eat his fill with those of whom it is said, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. He served the Lord secretly so that he might be rewarded by Him openly, even as it came to pass.

The Lord's reward to His servant was made manifest in the following manner. A certain priest who lived in the same monastery prayed fervently to the Lord that He reveal to him the things which are prepared for them that love Him. One night he had a vision. It seemed to him that he was standing in a garden, and as he considered the unutterable beauty of this garden, he saw Euphrosynus, the monastery's cook, walking by. The priest approached him and asked, "Brother Euphrosynus, what is this place? Can this be paradise?"

"It is paradise, Father," answered Euphrosynus.

Again the priest inquired, "How is that you are here?"

Euphrosynus the cook replied, "This is the dwelling place of God's elect, and by God's great goodness I have made my abode here as well."

The priest asked, "Do you have authority over all these beautiful things?"

Euphrosynus replied, "As far as I am able, I distribute to others the things you see here."

The priest inquired, "Can you give me some portion of these things?"

"By the grace of my God, take what you desire," Euphrosynus said.

The priest then pointed to some apples and asked for them. Euphrosynus took three apples, placed them in a kerchief, and gave them to the priest, saying, "Take what you have requested and delight therein."

At that moment, the semantron was struck for Matins, and the priest awoke and came to himself. He thought that he had been dreaming, but when he stretched out his hand to pick up his handkerchief, he found in it the three apples that he had received from Euphrosynus in the vision. They gave off an ineffable fragrance. Amazed, he arose from his couch, placed the apples on the bed, and went to church where he found Euphrosynus standing together with the brethren at the morning service. Approaching Euphrosynus, the priest implored him to reveal where he had been that night.

Euphrosynus replied, "Forgive me, Father; I have been in that place where we saw one another."

The priest said, "You must reveal God's greatness, so that the truth is not concealed!"

But the wise Euphrosynus humbly answered, "You, Father, implored the Lord to reveal to you the reward given to His chosen. The Lord was pleased to make this known to your godliness through me, wretched and unworthy as I am, and thus, we found ourselves together in paradise."

The priest inquired, "What did you give me, Father, in paradise when I spoke with you?"

"I gave you the three fragrant apples which you have placed on your bed in your cell," answered Euphrosynus. "But forgive me, Father, for I am a worm and not a man."

When Matins had finished, the priest summoned the brethren and showed them the three apples from paradise, and he told them exactly what had occurred. All smelled the ineffable fragrance emitted by those apples and discerned their spiritual sweetness, and they marvelled at what they were told by the priest. They hurried to the kitchen to reverence the servant of God, but they could not find him. When Euphrosynus left the church, he hid from the glory of men, and no one knew where he had gone. It is pointless to inquire into his whereabouts, for if he had access to paradise, where could he not have hidden himself?

The brethren divided the apples among themselves and distributed pieces of them as a blessing to many, especially to those who were in need of healing. Whoever ate of these apples was healed of his infirmities, and thus, all received great benefit from the holy and venerable Euphrosynus. The account of the vision was written down not only on scrolls but also in the hearts of those who were told of it, and all who heard thereof strove to increase their labors and please God.

By the prayers of the venerable Euphrosynus, may the Lord deem us also worthy to dwell in paradise. Amen.

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Another Saint that is in our avatar icon gallery

Post by 尼古拉前执事 »

Saint Xenia of Rome (January 24)*
 
In ancient times, when the people of Rome were still Orthodox Christians, a certain very rich man and his wife lived there. They had many servants, much gold and several big houses. But they had only one child----a girl name Eusevia.

When Eusevia grew up, her parents decided to marry her to a rich young nobleman. The date of the wedding had already been set.
But Eusevia did not want to get married. She had read in the Holy Scripture that is is best not to marry, but to give one's whole life over to Christ and serve Him, as a nun.

Eusevia's parents were not happy about this. They told her, "It also says in the Scripture that marriage is not bad." Eusevia answered, "I do not want to do just what is good. I want to do what is best. I love our Saviour and I want to serve only Him."

Eusevia's parents still tried to force her to get married. So she decided to run away from home to a convent. First, she gave away all her gold and most of her money to poor people. Two of Eusevia's servants also wanted to serve the Lord, the three young maidens disguised themselves and slipped out of the house at night. As they went through the gate, Eusevia crossed herself and siad, "Jesus Christ, Son of God, we are leaving our home in order to serve You and to endure sorrow for Your sake. Be with us and lead us on the right path."

The maidens walked along the road weeping and rejoicing. They were sorry to hurt the parents' feelings and they were a little bit frightened. But they were filled with joy because they were going to serve Jesus Christ and give their whole lives to Him.

Soon they reached the sea. They found a ship that was going to the great city of Alexandria in Egypt, many, many miles away.

From Alexandria, the three women took a boat to a Greek island. Here, they decided to form a convent. At this time, Eusevia took a new, Church name. She decided to call herself Xenia so that her parents would not be able to find her.

There was one thing missing. The three women could not start a convent unless they could find an elder, a priest with special Grace for God to teach people about the monastic life. Saint Xenia believed that God would help. She began to pray that God would send them an elder to teach them and bless them to be nuns.

While Saint Xenia was still praying, her two friends came to her and said, "Sister Xenia, we just stepped out of the house and we met a holy elder. His name is Father Paul. He lives in the Saint Andrew Monastery and he is going to teach us how to please God."

The elder took the three maidens to a village called Milassa. Saint Xenia had saved a little bit of her money to use in building a women's convent. Now, she took this money and built a little church named for Saint Stephen the First Martyr. Next to it she built a tiny house for the nuns to live in. The elder taught them how to live a monatic life, how to please God and how top please God and to be saved. The three nuns thanked God for leading them and for giving them what they needed.

Saint Xenia was a great ascetic. All the rest of her life, she ate nothing but a little bread each day. She gave all her other food to poor people. The saint would stand up all night long in prayer to God. Saint Xenia was meek and humble and she loved everyone. She used to pray with tears for all the people in the world.

All her life, Saint Xenia dressed only in rags. If anyone gave her any clothes, she would give them away to the poor right away.

Finally, Saint Xenia felt her time for death coming close. She called in all her friends and sisters and said goodbye. Then she went into the church, lay down with her face on the floor and prayed for a long time. Suddenly, the whole church became filled with a wonderful light and a beautiful heavenly smell. Saint Xenia's soul had left her body and gone to be with Jesus, Whom she had loved and served.

As a special gift to the people and in order to reveal that Xenia is a saint, the Lord gave a special sign. At the very moment when Saint Xenia reposed, a shining crown of stars appeared over the church. Later, when the sacred relics of Saint Xenia were being carried to the graveyard, this vision of the shining crown appeared over the coffin. As another special revelation, God healed many sick people who touched the coffin of the saint.

Through the prayers of Saint Xenia may we also serve the Lord.
 

Gregory2

Post by Gregory2 »

Can anyone guess my patron saint?

St Gregory Nazianzen (or of Nazianzus) is one of the few Orthodox saints honored by the Church with the title "The Theologian." He is one of the Cappadocian fathers - Cappadocia being a region of central Turkey where several Orthodox saints lived around the 300's AD. He was widely regarded as the shining star of the Church and his writings were widely disseminated through much of Byzantium until the 1400's AD. Unfortunately, the Christian West never was compelled by him. (Many Anglican writers simply wrote that they couldn't "understand" him.) He's probably best known for his many Orations.

I am reading a book about him now, and will post things accordingly. He was born to a devoutly Christian mother (through whom he credits much of his Christian faith and devotion) but to a pagan father. His father - a wealthy landowner in Cappadocia - converted to Christianity and somehow became Bishop of Nazianzus. Gregory was expected to marry and carry on the family wealth, however - much to his father's chagrin! - he announced his intention to take on monastic vows and dedicated his life to God. His father (the Bishop) then forced Gregory to become his successor at Nazianzus (which Gregory didn't want to do).

Many think that Gregory always "upstaged" his father (much to his father's discontent!) because he could always more beautifully capture the essence of Christianity and express this - God gave him this gift. Gregory saved his father from falling into Arian heresy (which his father - the Bishop of Nazianzus - defended at one point) by pointing out his mistakes and bringing him back in line with the Church.

Gregory had two siblings - an elder sister - Gorgonia, who also shared monastic inclinations like Gregory but was married, and a younger brother (Caesarius - who became a physician).

More to come later!

Gregory2

Post by Gregory2 »

Can anyone clear this up for me? In reading about my patron saint, I find that his father was married while bishop of Nazianzus -- I'm not mistaken in this either, for there's a timeline of important events in St Gregory's life, and his father's assumption of the bishop's seat in Nazianzus clearly precedes his wife's (Gregory's mother's) death by years. Also, from my reading, Gregory's mother is definitely part of his father's life while his father was Bishop.

How is this reconciled with Orthodox bishops being unmarried? These events happened in the 4th century AD. I know St Paul was married - did the requirement for bishops to be unmarried not happen until a later time in the Church? Please forgive me, I don't know this.

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Saint Basil of Mangazeya

Post by 尼古拉前执事 »

I think that might be it Gregory.

Here are some more saints:

Saint Basil of Mangazeya (March 23)

Saint Basil was born in 1587 in the very old town of Yaroslavl. Yaroslavl was an important port on the Voga River. Basil's father Theodore, was a poor merchant and his family often had very little food.
Even when he was a very small boy, Saint Basil used to go to the church every time he could. He loved God's house and he wanted to be there more than any place else.

In those days, when a a boy was twelve years old, he could become an apprentice. An apprentice is someone who works for a company without pay just to learn the business. The boss pays the boy's father a certain amount and then gives the boy food and a place to live.

Because Basil's family was very poor, he agreed to become an apprentice too. The saint became an apprentice for a merchant in the Siberian town of Mangazeya. Siberia was a very dangerous place, full of wild animals, warlike native tribes and lawless men. The journey to Mangzeya was long, difficult and full of danger. When Saint Basil arrived there safely, he hurried to the church to give thanks to God for protection on the road. Then the boy went to the merchant's office where he was given the job of clerk. Saint Basil was a very good and careful worker. Soon he was given a more responsible job in the company.

Unfortunately, at that time Siberia was a frontier area, and there were almost no women there. Because of this, some men did not keep the teachings of the church and fell into terrible sins. Saint Bail's boss was one of these men. His boss tried tempt Saint Basil to fall into spiritual harm. He tried flattery, he offered Basil money and finally, he tried threats and punishments.

Saint Basil continued to fast and pray and ask God to help him remain steadfast in the faith and from falling into sin.

The boss began to dislike Basil. He was angry that the boy boy would not submit to sin, and he disliked Basil's prayerful, religious life. He especially didn't like Basil for his meek and humble personality. But no matter how much he persecuted and mistreated the innocent lad, Saint Basil continued to faithfully and honestly perform all his duties and responsibilities.

Finally, the persecutions and slanders reached a terrible point. During the Paschal Matins, thieves robbed the merchandise house in which Basil worked. The boss, discovering the theft, went to the governor and reported the theft. But then a terrible situation occurred: Basil was accused of the theft.

Thus, on the day of Christ's Bright Pascha, when the Holy Church calls all people to peace and love, this innocent, God fearing boy was betrayed by a false witness, just as Christ had been betrayed. The governor did not even investigate the charges. He sent officers to arrest Saint Basil and drag him out of the church. The governor and Basil's boss began to torture the boy in order to force a confession from him. In spite of all the fierce totures, the blessed one would only reply meekly, "I am innocent."
The pain from the tortures became so unbearable that the youth fainted, but when he came to, he again quietly repeated, "I am innocent."
The meek, humble, child who endured much, with peaceful replies enraged the evil merchant more. Finally, he flew into a demonic rage and struck the young saint with a heavy chain of keys to the head. Saint Basil sighed heavily and gave up his pure soul into the hands of the Lord, on the day of Christ's radiant Pascha, 1600.

In order to hide this foul crime, the Governor, Mr. Pushkin, and the evil merchant, placed the body of the martyr into a rough coffin and lowered it into a nearby marsh, weighted down with stones.

Rumors of the brutal murder circulated around the town of Mangazeya almost immediately after the murder occurred. God chose to conceal the relic of the saint for fifty two years.

In 1652, during the tenure of the military governor Ignaty Stepanovich Korsakov, God revealed the glory of St. Basil. A Light was seen over the marsh and chanting was heard nearby.

The coffin was discovered and opened, inside they found the relics of the saint's body and it was incorrupted.

May God grant us patience to endure the trials and tribulations as Saint Basil His faithful servant an example to us all.

Holy Righteous Prokhor, February 10

God, who loves mankind, does not send suffering and troubles upon pople in order to punish them. He allows people to have troubles in order to lead them to salvation. This is called, "chastisement." The word "chatise" means to purify or make chaste. So God allows us to have troubles in order to purify us.
The life of our Righteous Father Prokhor the Wonderworker show us this truth very clearly.
Many years ago, the great city of Kiev was ruled by a Grand Prince named Svyatopolk. Svyatopolk was a very cruel and greedy man. He did not love God and he killed hundreds of his people in order to take their money and land for himself. Svyatopolk was so wicked that he even had his own brother blinded.

At that time, the abbot of the Kiev Caves Monastery was Father John. Father John was very brave and filled with love for his people. He often went to Svyatopolk and tried to correct him. "Repent," Father John would say, "and save your soul. Stop hurting the people." But Svyatopolk would not listen. Instead, he had Father John thrown into prison.

Finally, a great trouble came upon all the people: enemies invaded the land and there was a great hunger.

But God is merciful, and He wants everyone to be saved. So God sent His servant Prokhor to teach repentance and to help the people. Saint Prokhor was very meek and humble. He was a great faster and struggled constantly to become even more virtuous. For this reason, Saint Prokhor did not eat bread from ordinary flour. Instead, the saint went into the meadows and gathered the bitter seeds of the pigweed plant. He ground these seeds and made a very bitter bread from this flour. That was all he ate. If he was given any other food, the saint gave it away to the poor people. Saint Prokhor had great compassion for those who were hungry.

During the summer, Saint Prokhor gathered enough pigweed seeds to last him for the winter. For this reason, people used to call him the "pigweed man." When the time of the enemy invasions and the great hunger came, many people were starving to death. There was no wheat and no bread. Saint Prokhor wanted to give his pigweed bread to the hungry people, but it was so bitter that no one else could eat it. Saint Prokhor prayed to God for help, and God heard him. By the Lord's miracle, the pigweed bread which the saint baked became sweet and good to eat. Now, Saint Prokhor was filled with joy. He gave his bread away as fast as he could make it and many people were saved from starvation.

Now, however, an even greater famine (a time when there is no food) fell upon Russia. God, wishing to glorify His saint and call people to listen to him, caused pigweed to grow even more than before. Saint Prokhor and his helpers gathered all the seeds and the saint made it into bread. God made the bread sweet and good, and the saint gave it to all the people. When anyone else tried to make bread of the pigweed flour, their bread would always be too bitter to eat.

Why do you suppose God did all this? Because He wanted to chastise the people and teach them to turn to Him and repent so that they could be saved. Only from God's chosen servant could the poeple of Kiev receive good bread. Most of them understood, and turned to God.
Nevertheless, some people did not yet repent. Among the ones who did not was the Grand Prince Svyatopolk. He was still greedy and wicked. He and some other greedy people even tried to make a profit form the people's suffering and troubles. But God taught them a lesson through Saint Prokhor.

It happened during the great famine, there was almost no salt left in the country. Saint Prokhor wanted very much to be able to give salt to those who needed it. So the saint prayed to God and God heard the prayer of His servant. Saint Prokhor gathered the ashes from stoves and fires and put them into a pile.  Then he prayed again and made the sign of the Cross over them. God turned the ashes into pure salt. Then Saint Prokhor gave this salt away free to everyone who needed it. Every day, the saint would do this, and the people who needed salt were very happy and glorified God.

Not everyone was happy about this, however. Certain people were selling salt at very high prices and cheating the poor people. When the saint gave salt away free, the people no longer had to pay the greedy merchants high prices for salt. Of course, the wicked merchants were angry because they were losing a chance to get rich by cheating. A group of them went to the Grand Prince Svyatopolk and began to complain, "This monk Prokhor is taking money away from us. He is giving salt to everyone free. We who pay taxes cannot selll our salt."

Svyatopolk saw a chance to cheat people and make money from them. He slyly pretended to be helping the merchants. "In order to help you," he told them, "I will rob the monk." The cruel Grand Prince sent soldiers to the monastery to take the salt away from Saint Prokhor. Svyatopolk planned to steal this salt himself for a very high price. But God had changed the ashes into salt for His servant. As soon as the salt was stolen from the saint, it turned back into ashes. Everyone was amazed.
In order to be sure about this miracle, Grand Prince Svyatopolk ordered that the salt be stolen from the saint for three days in a row. Each time, as soon as the salt was brought to the Grand Prince, it turned into ashes.
Seeing this miracle, the Grand Prince repented. He came to the saint and began to weep, begging for forgiveness. God forgave the Grand Prince and blessed the rest of his reign.

Saint Prokhor lived for many years after this. When he died, the reformed Prince Svyatopolk came and carried the saint's relics to the grave and buried them with his own hands. From this time on, whenever Svyatopolk was about to do anything important, he would go first to the grave of Saint Prokhor and pray.

Through the prayers of Saint Prokhor may we live our lives according to  Christ's teachings.

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