Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer, bishop of Antioch (107)
Commemorated on December 20/January 2
The PriestMartyr Ignatios the God-Bearer, a native of Syria,
was a disciple of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian,
as was also Sainted Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (Comm. 23 February).
Saint Ignatios was the second bishop of Antioch, and successor
to Bishop Evodus, Disciple from amongst the Seventy.
Tradition suggests, that when Saint Ignatios was a little boy,
the Saviour hugged him and said: "If ye wilt not turn and be as little children, ye
shalt not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mt. 18: 3). The saint was
termed "God-Bearer" since he had the Name of the Saviour in his heart
and prayed unceasingly to Him. Saint Ignatios was zealous and spared no efforts
for toiling in the fields of Christ. To him is attributed the establishing
within church services of antiphonal singing (for two parts or choirs). During
time of persecution he was a source of strength to the souls of his flock,
and was himself ardent in the wish to suffer for Christ.
In the year 106 the emperor Trajan (98-117), on the occasion of a victory over
the Skyths, gave orders to everywhere offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, and
put to death any Christians refusing to worship idols. And in the year 107,
during the time of a campaign against the Armenians and Parthians, the emperor
Trajan happened to pass through Antioch. Here they made denunciation to him
that Bishop Ignatios openly confessed Christ, and with this taught to contemn
riches, to lead a virtuous life and preserve virginity. At this moment Saint
Ignatios himself came voluntarily before the emperor, so as to avert persecution
against the Christians in Antioch. The persistent requests of the emperor Trajan
were resolutely rejected by Saint Ignatios. The emperor then decided to have
him taken away for devouring by wild beasts at Rome. Saint Ignatios joyfully
accepted the sentence imposed upon him. His readiness for the deed of martyrdom
was attested to by eye-witnesses, accompanying Saint Ignatios from Antioch
to Rome.
On the way to Rome, the ship having set out from Seleucia stopped over at Smyrna,
where Saint Ignatios met with his friend the Smyrna Bishop Polycarp. Clergy
and believers from other cities and towns thronged to Saint Ignatios. Saint
Ignatios exhorted everyone not to fear death and not grieve over him. In his
Epistle of 24 August 107 to the Roman Christians, he asked them to assist him
with their prayers, so as to beseech God to strengthen him in his impending
act of martyrdom for Christ: "I seek Him Who hath died for us, I desire
Him Who hath risen for us... My love wast crucified, and within me is no fire
loving material things, but rather the living water that speaketh within me,
from within calling unto me: 'I go unto the Father'".
From Smyrna Saint Ignatios went to the Troiad. Here he met with the happy news
about the cessation of persecution against Christians in Antioch. From the
Troiad Saint Ignatios sailed to Neapolis (in Macedonia) and then to Philippi.
Along the way to Rome Saint Ignatios visited churches, and gave discourses
of teaching and guidance. He also then wrote six epistles: to the Ephesians,
to the Magnezians, to the Trallians, to the Philadelphians, and to the Smyrna
Bishop Polycarp. All these epistulary letters were preserved and have survived
to our present day.
The Roman Christians met Saint Ignatios with great joy and profound sorrow.
Certain of them had hopes to persuade the people to give up on making it a
bloody spectacle, but Saint Ignatios implored them not to do this. Bending
down upon his knees, he prayed together with all the believers for the Church,
for love between the brethren and for an end to the persecution against Christians.
On the day of a pagan feast, 20 December, they led Saint Ignatios into the
circus arena, and he turned to the people: "Men of Rome, ye do know, that
I am sentenced to death not because of any wrong-doing, but in love of my One
God, by love for Whom I am embraced and unto Whom I do aspire. I am His wheat
and by the teeth of wild beasts I shall be grinded, so as for Him to be a pure
bread". Right after this the lions were released. Tradition relates that
in going to execution, Saint Ignatios unceasingly repeated the Name of Jesus
Christ. When they asked him why he was doing this, Saint Ignatios answered,
that he carried this Name in his heart, "He that is imprinted in mine
heart, is He Whom I confess with my lips". When the saint was torn to
pieces, it turned out that his heart was not touched. Having cut open the heart,
the pagans beheld within it in gold lettering : "Jesus Christ". On
the night after his execution Saint Ignatios appeared to many of the faithful
in their sleep to comfort them, and certain of them saw him at prayer.
Hearing about the great courage of the saint, Trajan thought well of him and
stopped the persecution against the Christians. The relics of Saint Ignatios
were transferred to Antioch (the account about this is located under 29 January),
and again at a later time on 1 February were returned with glory and put in
the church named for the PriestMartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (91-100).
Sainted Daniel of Serbia
Commemorated on December 20/January 2
Sainted
Daniel of Serbia, the only son of rich and reknown parents,
was a close
associate of the Serbian king Stefan Urosh
Miliutin. Having renounced a secular career, he took monastic
vows under the hegumen of a monastery named for Saint Nicholas
in the locale of Konchul on the banks of the River Ibro. The
ascetic life of the Monk Daniel was an example for all the brethren.
The Archbishop of Serbia Evstathii ordained him presbyter and
took him into his cell. When it became time to choose the hegumen
for the Khilendaria monastery on Holy Mount Athos, Saint Daniel
then received the appointment. The saint was hegumen at a most
difficult time for the Holy Mount, when the crusaders were expelled
from Palestine, and having mingled together with the Arabs, they
plundered and looted the Athonite monasteries, "not sparing
anything sacred". Saint Daniel bravely dwelt at the Khilendaria
monastery, which underwent storming and siege and hunger. When
peace came to the Holy Mountain, the saint resigned being hegumen
and withdrew into complete silence in the cell of Saint Savva
of Serbia (at Karea). During the time of an internecine war of
Urosh Miliutin with his brother Stefan Dragutin, the ascetic
was summoned to Serbia, where he reconciled the brothers. In
his native land Daniel was made Bishop of Bransk and head of
the reknown monastery of Saint Stefan – a royal treasury.
Having finished at Bansk the construction of a cathedral church
in the name of the holy Disciple and ArchDeacon Stephen, Saint
Daniel again returned to his monastic efforts on the Holy Mountain.
The saint was summoned from Athos yet another time in 1325, for
his elevation to Archbishop of Serbia, taking place on the feastday
of the Elevation of the
Cross of the Lord. The "protos" ("head") of the Holy Mountain,
Garbasios, and other Athonite elders took part in the solemnities. Archbishop
Daniel was a model of piety, and a wise archpastor. Complete non-covetousness,
incessant concern and toil for the needs of the Church and the flock along
with the appearance of holy temples distinguished his service as bishop. In
1335 at Dechakh the saint erected a church in honour of the Ascension of the
Lord – one of the finest Christian monuments in Serbia. Having gathered
accounts about the Serbian past, the saint compiled the "Rodoslov" (Account
about the Native-land"), writing about the lives of Serbian rulers and
Serbian archpastors. Sainted Daniel even during his lifetime was granted the
gift of wonderworking and healing. After fourteen years as archbishop, Saint
Daniel expired to the Lord on 19 December 1338.
St. Nahum of Ochrid, enlightener of the Bulgarians (910)
Commemorated on December 23/January 5
The Monk Naum of Okhrid, Bulgarian by descent, was one of the disciple of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodios (Comm. 11 May), and he likewise accompanied Saint Kliment (Clement) of Okhrid during the time of his preaching of the Gospel in Bulgaria. When Saint Kliment set off to the south-western regions, the Monk Naum remained in the then capital city of Plisk. Afterwards the Monk Naum became successor to Saint Kliment in a monastery on the shores of Lake Okhrida, where he asceticised for 10 years. The Monk Naum reposed on 23 December 910, and his relics were glorified by numerous miracles, especially healings of sicknesses of soul.
The Eve of the Nativity of Christ
January 6, 2009 / December 24, 2008 (Church Calendar)
The Nativity according to the Flesh of Our Lord, God and Saviour
Jesus Christ
Commemorated on December 25/January 7
Our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, was born of the MostHoly
Virgin Mary
in the city of Bethlehem during the
reign of the emperor Augustus (Octavian). Caesar Augustus decreed
that an universal census be made throughout all his empire, which
then also included Palestinian Israel. The Jews were accustomed
to carry out the nation's census-taking according to ancestral-origins,
tribes and family-relations. Every ancestral-origin and family-relation
had its own designated city as its place of ancestry. The MostBlessed
Virgin Mary and Righteous Joseph, descended from the family line
of King David, had to go to Bethlehem (the city of David), to
register their names on the census-list of Caesar's subjects.
At Bethlehem they did not find a single place vacant at any of
the city's inns. In the celebrated cave, used as a stable, amidst
the hay and the straw, strewn about as food and bedding for the
cattle, far from the hearth of home, amidst people that were
total strangers, on the cold winter night, and in a setting deprived
not only of worldly grandeur but even of the basic amenities – was
born the God-Man, the Saviour of the world. "I behold a
strange and most glorious mystery, – with awe sings Holy
Church, – Heaven – the Cave; the Throne of the Cherubim – the
Virgin; the Manger – the Crib, in which lay the placeless
Christ God" (Irmos in 9th Ode of the Festal Canon). Without
defilement having given birth to the Divine Infant the MostHoly
Virgin, Herself without help from strangers, "wraps Him
in swaddling cloths and places Him in the manger" (Lk. 2).
But amidst the midnight stillness, when all mankind was shrouded
in its deepest sinful sleep, the proclaiming of the Birth of
the Saviour of the world was heard by shepherds, watching their
flocks by night. And the Angel of the Lord came before them and
said: "Fear not, for lo I proclaim ye tidings of great joy,
which shalt be for all people, for this day is born unto you
the Saviour, Which be Christ the Lord in the city of David".
The humble shepherds were the first deemed worthy to offer worship
for the salvation of mankind unto He That hath condescended to "the
image of an humble servant". Besides the Angelic glad tidings
to the Bethlehem shepherds, the Nativity of Christ by means of
a wondrous star was made known to Magi "knowing the stars",
and in the person of these Eastern wise-men all the pagan world,
imperceptibly – bent down upon its knees before the true
Saviour of the world, the God-Man. Entering wherein the Infant
lay, the wise-men Magi – "falling down they worshipped
Him, and opening their treasure they presented Him gifts: gold
and frankincense and myrh" (Mt. 2: 11).
In remembrance of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the feastday was established by the Church. Its very
origin is related to the times of the
Apostles. In the Apostolic Constitutions it says: "Brethren, observe the
feastdays, and among the chief such the day of the Birth of Christ, which make
ye celebration of on the 25th day of the tenth month" (from March, which
in those days began the year). There also in another place it said: "Celebrate
ye the day of the Nativity of Christ, in the which unseen grace is given man
by the birth of the Word of God from the Virgin Mary for the salvation of the
world".
In the II Century also Sainted Clement of Alexandria indicates that the day
of the Nativity of Christ is 25 December. In the III Century as before Saint
Hypolitus of Rome makes mention concerning the feastday of the Nativity of
Christ, and designates the Gospel readings for this day from the beginning
chapters of Saint Matthew. It is known also, that during the time of persecution
of Christians by Maximian in the year 302, Nicomedia Christians numbering 20,000
were burned in church on the very feastday of the Nativity of Christ (Comm.
28 December). In that same century, but later on after the persecution when
the Church had received freedom of religion and had become the official religion
in the Roman empire, we find the feastday of the Nativity of Christ observed
throughout all the Universal Church. And this is evidenced from the works of
saint Ephrem the Syrian, Sainted Basil the great, Sainted Gregory the Theologian,
Sainted Gregory of Nyssa, Sainted Ambrose of Milan, Sainted John Chrysostom
and other fathers of the Church of the IV Century concerning this feastday.
Saint John Chrysostom, in his sermon which he gave in the year 385, points
out that the feast of the Nativity of Christ is ancient and indeed very ancient.
In this same century also at the place of the Bethlehem Cave, made famous by
the Birth of Jesus Christ, the Equal-to-the-Apostles empress Helen erected
a church, which her mighty son Constantine strove after her to make resplendid.
In the Codex of the emperor Theodosius from 438, and of the emperor Justinian – in
535, is promulgated as law the universal celebration of the day of the Nativity
of Christ. It is in this sense, truly, that Nicephoros Kallistos, a writer
of the XIV Century, says in his history that the emperor Justinian in the VI
Century established the celebration of the Nativity of Christ throughout all
the world.
In the V Century the Patriarch of Constantinople Anatolios, in the VII – Sophronios
and Andrew of Jerusalem, in the VIII – Saints John of Damascus, Cosma
of Maium and the Patriarch of Tsar'grad Germanos, in the IX – the Nun
Cassia and others of names unknown, all these wrote for the feast of the Nativity
of Christ many sacred hymns, used at present by the Church to the glory of
this radiant festal event.
However, during the first three centuries, when persecutions hindered the freedom
of Christian Divine-services, in certain places in the East – in the
Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria and Cyprus – the feastday
of the Nativity of Christ was combined together with the feastday of the Baptism
of Christ on 6 January, under the in-common term "Theophany" ["Bogoyavlenie" – which
both in the Greek and the Slavonic means "Manifestation of God"].
The reason for this, actually, was from the view, that Christ was baptised
at a later time on His birthday, as might be inferred concerning this from
the discourse of Saint John Chrysostom who, in one of his sermons on the Nativity
of Christ, says: "it is not that day on which Christ was born which is
called Theophany, but rather that day on which He was baptised". Towards
suchlike a viewpoint also it is possible to consider a nuance in the words
of the Evangelist Luke who, speaking about the Baptism of Jesus Christ, testifies,
that then "Jesus being incipient [incipiens, arkhomenos] upon His thirtieth
year" (Lk. 3:23). The celebration of the Nativity of Christ conjointly
with Theophany in certain of the Eastern Churches continued to the end of the
IV Century, and in some – until the V or even the VI Century. Remembrance
of the ancient conjoining of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ and Theophany
at present enters into the making of the order of services in the celebration
of these feasts. For both – on the eve-day preceding the feast, there
is a similar tradition among the people, that on the festal eve-days the fast
ought to be kept until the stars appear. The order of Divine-services on the
eve of both feastdays and the feastdays themselves is done the same.
The day of the Nativity of Christ from of old was numbered by the Church among
the Twelve Great Feasts, – in accord with the Divine witness of the Gospel
in depicting these festal events as the greatest, most all-joyful and wondrous. "Behold,
I proclaim unto you glad tidings, – said the Angel to the Bethlehem shepherds, – of
great joy, for all mankind. For unto you this day is born the Saviour, Who
is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this for ye is the sign: ye will
find the Infant wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Then suddenly
with the Angel was a multitude of the heavenly hosts, glorifying God and saying:
Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good-will to mankind. Those
hearing of this were awestruck at the sayings of the shepherds concerning this
Child. And the shepherds themselves returned back, glorifying and praising
God for everything they had heard and seen" (Lk. 2: 10-20). Thus the Nativity
of Christ, as an event most profound and extraordinary, was accompanied by
the wondrous tidings to the shepherds and the Magi about the universal rejoicing
for all mankind, – "for the Saviour is Born!", by the Angelic
proclamation of glory to the new-born Saviour, by the worship to him by shepherds
and wise-men, by the reverent awe of many, hearkening to the words of the shepherds
about the new-born Child, amidst glory and praise of Him by the Shepherds.
In accord with the Divine witness of the Gospel, the fathers of the Church
in their God-imbued writings also depict the feast of the Nativity of Christ
as most profound, universal and all-joyous, which serves as a basis and foundation
for all the other feastdays.
Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
DISCOURSE ON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST
by Sainted Gregory Thaumatourgos,
Bishop of Neo-Caesarea
Brethren, we behold now a great and wondrous mystery. Shepherds with cries
of joy come forth as messengers to the sons of mankind, not on their hilly
pastures with their flocks conversing and not in the field with their sheep
frolicking, but rather in the city of David Bethlehem spiritual songs exclaiming.
In the highest sing Angels, proclaiming hymns Archangelic; the heavenly Cherubim
and Seraphim sing out praises to the glory of God: "Holy, Holy, Holy..." Together
all do celebrate this joyous feast, beholding God upon the earth, and mankind
of earth amidst the heavens. By Divine providence the far distant are uplifted
to the highest, and the highest, through the love of God for mankind, have
bent down to the far distant, wherefore the MostHigh, through His humility, "is
exalted through humility". On this day of great festivity Bethlehem hath
become like unto heaven, taking place amidst the glittering stars are Angels
singing glory, and taking the place of the visible sun – is the indefinable
and immeasurable Sun of Truth, having made all things that do exist. But who
would dare investigate so great a mystery? "Wherein God doth wish it,
therein the order of nature is overturned", and laws cannot impede. And
so, of that which was impossible for mankind to undertake, God did aspire and
did descend, making for the salvation of mankind, since in the will of God
this is life for all mankind.
On the present joyous day God hath come to be born; on this great day of arrival
God is become That Which He was not: being God, He hath become Man, so to speak
as though removed from Divinity (though His Divine Nature be not divested of);
in being made Man, He hath remained God. Wherefore, though He grew and flourished,
it however was not thus as it were by human power to attain to Divinity nor
by any human ability to be made God; but rather as the Word, by miraculous
sufferance, wherein He was incarnated and manifest not being transformed, not
being made something other, not deprived of that Divine Nature which He possessed
previously. In Judea the new King is born; but this new and wondrous nativity
which pagan Gentiles have come to believe, the Jew have eschewed. The Pharisees
comprehended incorrectly the Law and the prophets. That which therein was contradictory
for them, they explained away mistakenly. Herod too strove to learn of this
new birth, full of mystery, yet Herod did this not to reverence the new-born
King, but to kill Him.
That One, Who did forsake the Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominions, and all
the constant and luminous spirits, – He alone having come a new path,
does issue forth from an inviolate of seed virginal womb. The Creator of all
comes to enlighten the world, indeed not leaving His angels orphaned, and He
appears also as Man, come forth from God.
And I, though I see by the NewBorn neither trumpets (nor other musical instruments),
nor sword, nor bodily adornments, neither lampadas nor way-lamps, and seeing
the choir of Christ composed of those humble of birth and without influence, – it
doth persuade me to praise of Him. I see speechless animals and choirs of youth,
as though some sort of trumpet, songfully resonant, as though taking the place
of lampadas and as it were shining upon the Lord. But what shall I say about
what the lampadas do light? He – is the verymost Hope and Life Itself,
He is Salvation Itself, Blessedness Itself, the focal point of the Kingdom
of Heaven. He is Himself borne as offering, so that there would in power transpire
the proclamation of the heavenly Angels: "Glory to God in the Highest",
and with the shepherds of Bethlehem be pronounced the joyous song: "And
on earth peace, good-will to mankind!" Born of the Father, in His Person
and in His Being passionless, now in a manner dispassionate and incomprehensible
He is born for us. The praeternal birth, He alone Who was born dispassionately
doth know of; the present birth, is supernaturally known only by the grace
of the Holy Spirit; but in both the first birth truly, and in the present birth
in kenotic humbling, actually and immutably God was born from God, but He – is
also Man, having received flesh of the Virgin. In the highest of the One Father – He
is One, the Only-Begotten Son of the One Father; in kenotic humbling Unique
of the unique Virgin, the Only-Begotten Son of the one Virgin... God suffereth
not passions, in being born God of God; and the Virgin did not suffer corruption,
since in a manner spiritual was born the Spiritual. The first birth – is
inexplicable and the second – is insurmiseable; the first birth was without
travail and the second was without impurity... We know, Who now is born of
the Virgin, and we believe, that it is He, born of the Father praeternally.
But what manner of birth it was we would not hope to explain. Neither with
words would I attempt to speak of this, nor in thought would I dare to approach
it, since the Divine Nature is not subject to observation, nor approachable
by thought, nor containable by the hapless reasoning. Needful only is to believe
in the power of His works. The laws of corporeal nature are evident: a married
woman conceives and gives birth to a son in accord with the purpose of marriage;
but when the Unwedded Virgin gives birth to the son miraculously, and after
birth remaineth a Virgin, – then is manifest an higher corporeal nature.
We can comprehend what exists according to the laws ofd corporeal nature, but
afront that which is beyond the laws of nature, we fall silent, not through
fear, but moreso through sin-wrought fallibility. We mustneeds fall silent,
in silent stillness to reverence virtue with a worthy reverence and, not going
beyond the far limits (of word), to be vouchsafed the heavenly gifts.
What to say and what shalt I proclaim? To speak more concerning the Virgin
Birth-Giver? To deliberate more on the miraculously new birth? It is possible
only to be astonished, in contemplating the miraculous birth, since it overturns
the ordinary laws and order of nature and of things. About the wondrous works
(of God) one might say in brief, that they are more wondrous than the works
of nature, since in nature nothing begets itself by its own will, though there
be the freedom thereof: wondrous therefore are all the works of the Lord, Who
hath caused them to be. O, immaculate and inexplicable mystery! That One, Who
before the very creation of the world was the Only-Begotten, Without-Compare,
Simple, Incorporeal, is incarnated and descends (into the world), clothed in
a perishable body, so that He be visible to all. For if He were not visible,
then by what manner would He teach us to keep His precepts and how would He
lead us to the invisible reality? It was for this therefore that He became
openly visible, to lead forth those of the visible world to the invisible.
Far moreso do people reckon their eyesight as more credible a witness than
mere hearsay; they trust that which they see, and doubt that which they see
not. God willed to be visible in body, to resolve and dispel the doubts. He
willed to be born of the Virgin, not to initiate of Her something unneeded
and wherein the Virgin knew not the reasons of the matter, but rather the mystery
of His birth is an immaculate act of goodness, wherein the Virgin Herself asked
of Gabriel: "How can this be, in that I know not a man", – to
which She received in reply: "The Holy Spirit shalt come upon Thee, and
the power of the MostHigh shalt overshadow Thee" (Lk. 1: 34-35). But in
what manner did the Word, Who was God, therefore issue forth from the Virgin?
This – is an inexplicable wonder. Just as a goldsmith, having obtained
the metal, makes of it a thing suitable for use, thus did Christ also: finding
the Virgin immaculate both in spirit and in body, He assumed of Her a spirit-fashioned
body conformable to His intents, and was arrayed in it, as in clothing. On
this wondrous day of the Nativity the Word was neither afraid nor ashamed to
issue forth from the virginal womb, nor did He consider it unworthy of Himself
to assume flesh from His creation, – so that the creation, made the attire
of the Creator, should be esteemed worthy of glory, and so that mercy should
be made known when revealed, from whence God through His goodness hath descended.
Just as it would be impossible for an earthen vessel to appear before it be
clay in the hands of the potter, so likewise would it be impossible for the
perishable vessel (of human nature) to be renewed otherwise, to make it the
attire of the Creator, Who is garbed in it.
What more to say, what shall I expound on? The new wonders do strike me with
awe. The Ancient of Days is become a Child, to make people children of God.
Sitting in glory in the Heavens, because of His love for mankind, He now layeth
in a manger of dumb beasts. The Inpassionate, Incorporeal, Incomprehensible
One is taken by human hands, in order to atone the violence of sinners and
the iniquitous and free them of their slavery, to be wrapped in swaddling cloths
and be nourished on the knees of Woman, so that shame be transformed into honour,
the impious to be led to glory, and in place of thorns a crown. He hath taken
on my body, so that I be made capable to have within myself His Spirit, – He
hath appropriated unto Himself (my nature), being garbed in my body, and doth
give unto me His Spirit, so that I, giving and in turn receiving, might discover
the treasure of life.
What shall I say and what proclaim? "Behold, a Virgin in womb shalt conceive
and She shalt give birth a Son, and they will call Him the name Emmanuel, in
interpretation: God is with us [S nami Bog; Meth' hemon ho Theos; Nobiscum
Deus]" (Mt. 1: 23). The saying here deals not with something for future
whereof we might learn to hope, but rather it tells us about something that
already has occurred and it awes us with something that already has been fulfilled.
What formerly was said to the Jews and fulfilled amidst them, is now thus amidst
us realised as an occurrence, whereof we have received (this prophecy), and
adopted it, and believed in it. The prophet says to the Jews: "Behold,
a Virgin shalt conceive" (Is. 7: 14); for Christians however, the saying
devolves upon the fulfilling of the actual deed, the full treasure-trove of
the actual event. In Judea a Virgin gave birth, but all the lands of the world
accepted Her Son. There – was the root of the vine; here – the
vine of truth. The Jews squeezed the wine-press, and the Gentiles have tasted
of the sacramental Blood; those others planted the kernel of wheat, and these
thrive by the grain harvest of faith. The Jews were pricked to death by the
thorns, the Gentiles are filled by the harvest; those others sat beneathe the
tree of desolation, and these – beneathe the tree of life; those expounded
the precepts of the Law, but the Gentiles reap the spiritual fruits. The Virgin
gave birth not Herself of Herself, but as willed He needing to be born. Not
in corporeal manner did God act, not to the law of the flesh did God subordinate
Himself, but the Lord of corporeal nature manifested Himself to appear in the
world by a miraculous birth, in order to reveal His power and to show, that
in having been made Man, He is born not as a mere man, – that God is
made Man, since for His will nothing be difficult.
On the present great day He is born of the Virgin, having overcome the natural
order of things. He is higher than wedlock and free from defilement. It sufficed
that He the preceptor of purity should shine forth gloriously, to emerge from
a pure and undefiled womb. For He – is That Same, Who in the beginning
did create Adam from the virgin soil, and from Adam without wedlock did bring
forth for him his wife Eve. And as Adam was without wife before that he had
a wife, and the first woman then was brought into the world, so likewise on
the present day the Virgin without man giveth birth to That One, about Whom
spake the prophet: "He – is Man, who is he that doth know Him?" The
Man Christ, clearly seen by mankind, born of God, is such that womankind was
needed to perfect that of mankind, so that perfectly would be born man for
woman. And just as from Adam was taken woman, without impairment and without
diminishing of his masculine nature, so also from woman without man was needed
to bring forth a man, similar to the bringing forth of Eve, so that Adam be
not extolled in that without his means woman should bring forth woman. Therefore
the Virgin without cohabitation with man gave birth to God the Word, made Man,
so that in equal measure it was by the same miracle to bestow equal honour
to both the one and the other half – man and woman. And just as from
Adam was taken woman without his diminishing, so likewise from the Virgin was
taken the body (Born of Her), wherein also the Virgin did not undergo diminishing,
and Her virginity did not suffer harm. Adam dwelt well and unharmed, when the
rib was taken from him: and so without defilement dwelt the Virgin, when from
Her was brought forth God the Word. For this sort of reason particularly the
word assumed of the Virgin Her flesh and Her (corporeal) garb, so that He be
not accounted innocent of the sin of Adam. Since man stung by sin had become
a vessel and instrument of evil, Christ took upon Himself this receptacle of
sin into His Own flesh so that, the Creator having been co-united with the
body, it should thus be freed from the foulness of the enemy, and man thus
be clothed in an eternal body, which be neither perished nor destroyed for
all eternity. Moreover, He that is become the God-Man is born, not as ordinarily
man is born, – He is born as God made Man, manifest of this by His Own
Divine power, since if He were born according to the general laws of nature,
the Word would seem something imperfect. Therefore, He was born of the Virgin
and shone forth; therefore, having been born, He preserved unharmed the virginal
womb, so that the hitherto unheard of manner of the Nativity should be for
us a sign of great mystery.
Is Christ God? Christ is God by nature, but not by the order of nature did
He become Man. Thus we declare and in truth believe, calling to witness the
seal of intact virginity: as Almighty Creator of the womb and virginity, He
chose an unshameful manner of birth and was made Man, as He did will.
On this great day, now being celebrated, God hath appeared as Man, as Pastor
of the nation of Israel, Who hath enlivened all the universe with His goodness.
O dear warriors, glorious champions for mankind, who did preach Bethlehem as
a place of Theophany and the Nativity of the Son of God, who have made known
to all the world the Lord of all, lying in a manger, and did point out God
contained within a narrow cave!
And so, we now glorify joyfully a feast of the years. Just as hence the laws
of feasts be new, so now also the laws of birth be wondrous. On this great
day now celebrated, of shattered chains, of Satan shamed, of all demons to
flight, the all-destroying death is replaced by life, paradise is opened to
the thief, curses be transformed into blessings, all sins forgiven and evil
banished, truth is come, and they have proclaimed tidings filled with reverence
and love for God, traits pure and immaculate are implanted, virtue is exalted
upon the earth, Angels are come together with people, and people make bold
to converse with Angels. Whence and why hath all this happened? From this,
that God hath descended into the world and exalted mankind unto Heaven. There
is accomplished a certain transposition of everything: God Who is perfect hath
descended to earth, though by Nature He remaineth entirely in the Heavens,
even at that time when in His wholeness He be situated upon the earth. He was
God and was made Man, not negating His Divinity: He was not made God, since
He was always such by His very Nature, but He was made flesh, so that He be
visible to everything corporeal. That One, upon Whom even the Heaven-dwellers
cannot look, chose as His habitation a manger, and when He came, all around
Him became still. And for naught else did He lay in the manger, than for this,
that in giving nourishment to all, He should for Himself extract the nourishment
of infants from maternal breasts and by this to bless wedlock.
On this great day people, leaving off from their arduous and serious affairs,
do come forth for the glory of Heaven, and they learn through the gleaming
of the stars, that the Lord hath descended to the earth to save His creation.
The Lord, sitting upon a swift cloud, in the flesh wilt enter into Egypt (Is.
19: 1), visible fleeing from Herod, on that very deed which inspires the saying
by Isaiah: "On that day Israel wilt be third amidst the Egyptians" (Is.
19: 24).
People entered into the Cave, thinking not at all about this beforehand, and
it became for them an holy temple. God entered into Egypt, in the place of
the ancient sadness there to bring joy, and in the place of dark gloom to shed
forth the light of salvation. The waters of the Nile had become defiled and
harmful after infants perished in it with untimely death. There appeared in
Egypt That One, Who upon a time turned the water into blood and Who thereafter
transformed these waters into well-springs of the water of rebirth, by the
grace of the Holy Spirit cleansing away sins and transgressions. Chastisement
once befell the Egyptians, since in their errors they defied God. But Jesus
now is come into Egypt and hath sown in it reverence for God, so that in casting
off from the Egyptian soul its errors, they are made amicable unto God. The
river waters concurred worthily to encompass His head, like a crown.
In order not to stretch out in length our discourse and briefly to conclude
what is said, we shall ask: in what manner was the passionless Word made flesh
and become visible, while dwelling immutably in His Divine Nature? But what
shall I say and what declare? I see the carpenter and the manger, the Infant
and the Virgin Birth-Giver, forsaken by all, weighed down by hardship and want.
Behold, to what a degree of humiliation the great God hath descended. For our
sakes "impoverished, Who was rich" (2 Cor. 8: 9): He was put into
but sorry swaddling cloths – not on a soft bed. O poverty, source of
all exaltation! O destitution, revealing all treasures! He doth appear to the
poor -- and the poor He maketh rich; He doth lay in an animal manger – and
by His word He sets in motion all the world. He is wrapped in tattered swaddling
cloths – and shatters the bonds of sinners having called the entire world
into being by His Word alone.
What still should I say and proclaim? I see the Infant, in swaddling cloths
and lying in the manger; Mary, the Virgin Mother, stands before it together
with Joseph, called Her husband. He is called Her husband, and She – his
wife, in name but so and seemingly wedded, though in fact they were not spouses.
she was betrothed to Joseph, but the Holy Spirit came upon Her, as about this
the holy evangelist doth speak: "The Holy Spirit shalt come upon Thee,
and the power of the MostHigh wilt overshadow Thee: and He to be born is Holy" (Lk.
1: 35) and is of the seed of Heaven. Joseph did not dare to speak in opposition,
and the righteous man did not wish to reprove the Holy Virgin; he did not want
to believe any suspicion of sin nor pronounce against the Holy Virgin words
of slander; but the Son to be born he did not wish to acknowledge as his, since
he knew, that He – was not of him. And although he was perplexed and
had doubts, Who such an Infant should be, and pondered it over – he then
had an heavenly vision, an Angel appeared to him and encouraged him with the
words: Fear not, Joseph, son of David; He That shalt be born of Mary is called
Holy and the Son of God; that is: the Holy Spirit shalt come upon the Immaculate
Virgin, and the power of the MostHigh wilt overshadow Her (Mt. 1: 20-21; Lk.
1: 35). Truly He was to be born of the Virgin, preserving unharmed Her virginity.
Just as the first virgin had fallen, enticed by Satan, so now Gabriel bears
new tidings to the Virgin Mary, so that a virgin would give assent to be the
Virgin, and to the Nativity – by birth. Allured by temptations, Eve did
once utter words of ruination; Mary, in turn, in accepting the tidings gave
birth to the Incorporeal and Life-Creating Word. For the words of Eve, Adam
was cast out of paradise; the Word, born of the Virgin, revealed the Cross,
by which the thief entered into the paradise of Adam. Though neither the pagan
Gentiles, nor the Jews, nor the high-priests would believe, that from God could
be born a Son without travail and without man, this now is so and He is born
in the body, capable to endure suffering, while preserving inviolate the body
of the Virgin.
Thus did He manifest His Almightiness, born of the Virgin, preserving the virginity
of the Virgin intact, and He was born of God with neither complication, travail,
evil nor a separation of forsaking the immutable Divine Essence, born God from
God. Since mankind abandoned God, in place of Him worshipping graven images
of humans, God the Word thus assumed the image of man, so that in banishing
error and restoring truth, He should consign to oblivion the worshipping of
idols and for Himself to be accorded Divine honour, since to Him becometh all
glory and honour unto ages of ages. Amen.
Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos
Commemorated on December 26
The Sabor-Assemblage of the MostHoly Mother of God: On the day after the Nativity of Christ is celebrated the Sobor-Assemblage of the MostHoly Mother of God, commemorating together with Her also Saint Joseph the Betrothed, King David (an ancestor by flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ), and Saint James the Brother of the Lord, a son of the first marriage of Saint Joseph the Betrothed. Saint James accompanied his father Joseph and the Mother of God and the Divine-Infant Jesus on the Flight into Egypt.
Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen (34)
Commemorated on December 27
The Holy
Disciple (from the Seventy) First-Martyr and ArchDeacon Stephen
was
the eldest among the Seven Deacons, established by
the Apostles themselves, and therefore he is called "archdeacon".
He was the Christian First-Martyr, and he suffered for Christ
at about age 30. In the words of Asterias, he was "the starting-point
of the martyrs, the instructor of suffering for Christ, the foundation
of righteous confession, in that Stephen was first to shed his
blood for the Gospel".
Being filled of the Holy Spirit, Saint Stephen with daring persuasively
preached the Christian teaching and defeated Jewish teachers
of the Law in disputation.
For this the Jews maligned Saint Stephen, saying that he had uttered blasphemy
against God and against Moses. Under such charges, Saint Stephen came before
the Sanhedrin and the high-priest. He spoke a fiery speech, in which he expounded
the history of the Jewish nation, and he boldly denounced the Jews for persecuting
the prophets and also the execution by them of the awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ.
During the time of his speaking, Saint Stephen suddenly saw the heavens opened
and Jesus Christ in glory, standing at the right side of God. He exclaimed
loudly about this. Then the Jews, covering over their ears, rushed upon him,
dragged him out of the city and stoned him, but the holy martyr prayed for
his murderers. Afar off on the heights stood the Mother of God with the holy
Apostle John the Theologian, and She prayed fervently for the martyr. Before
death Saint Stephen uttered: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, wherein O
Lord, impute this not to them in sin", – and then with joy he gave
up his pure soul to Christ. The body of the holy First-Martyr Stephen, left
for devouring by beasts, was secretly taken up by the illustrious Jewish teacher
Gamaliel and his son Habib, and given burial on his estate. And afterwards
these both believed in Christ and accepted holy Baptism.
The Holy 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia:
Commemorated on December 28/January 10
The Holy 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia: At the beginning of the
IV Century the emperor Maximian (284-305) gave orders to destroy
Christian churches, to burn Divine-service books, and to deprive
all Christians of rights and offices of citizenship. At this
time the bishop of the city of Nicomedia was Saint Cyril, who
by his preaching and life contributed to the spread of the Christian
faith, such that many of the dignitaries of the emperor were
themselves secretly Christian.
At the Nicomedia court of the emperor lived the pagan-priestess,
Domna. In the absence of Maximian she read through the Acts of
the Apostles and the Epistles
of the Apostle Paul. Her heart burned with the desire to become acquainted
with the Christian teaching. With the help of some young Christian, Domna went
secretly to the bishop, Cyril, in the company of a faithful servant, the eunuch
Indysos. Saint Cyril catechised them, and afterwards both received holy Baptism.
Domna began to help the poor: she distributed her valuables with the assistance
of Indysos, and she distributed also food from the imperial kitchen. Having
learned about the unusual manner of life of Domna and Indysos, the head of
the eunuchs – who was in charge of the imperial table, locked up both
of them to exhaust them with hunger, but they received support from an Angel
and did not suffer. In order to no longer live amidst the pagans, Saint Domna
feigned insanity. Then she and Indysos managed to leave the court, and she
went to the women's monastery of the hegumeness Agathia. The hegumeness quickly
dressed her in men's clothing, cut her hair and sent her off from the monastery.
During this time the emperor happened to return and gave orders to seek out
everywhere for the former pagan-priestess Domna. The soldiers dispatched for
this purpose found the monastery and destroyed it. The sisters were thrown
into prison, subjected to torture and abuse, but not one of them suffered violation.
Sent off to an house of iniquity, Saint Theophila with the help of an Angel
of the Lord there also preserved her virginity: the Angel removed her from
the profligacy.
At this time the emperor set up in the city square an offering of sacrifice
to the pagan gods. When they began sprinkling the crowd with the blood of the
sacrificial animals, Christians started to leave the square. Seeing this, the
emperor became enraged, but he did not give vent to his anger, since suddenly
the earth quaked. A certain while later Maximian having located the church
entered it and demanded a renunciation of Christ from all; for refusal he promised
to burn the church and kill its Christians. The Christian presbyter Glykerios
answered him, that Christians never renounce their faith, even under the threat
of torture. Hiding his anger, the emperor exited the church, and after a certain
while commanded the presbyter Glykerios be arrested for trial. The executioners
tortured the martyr, who ceased not to pray and to call on the Name of the
Lord. Not being able to wring a renunciation of Christ out of Saint Glykerios,
Maximian ordered him to be burned to death.
On the feastday of the Nativity of Christ in the year 302, when about 20,000
Christians had assembled at the Nicomedia cathedral church, the emperor sent
into the church an herald – who proclaimed the emperor's command to exit
the church and offer sacrifice to idols; otherwise, he threatened to burn the
church together with those praying in it. But all those present refused to
worship idols. While the tormentors prepared to set fire to the church, Bishop
Anthymos (Comm. 3 September; a related account is under this day), having completed
Divine-services, baptised all the catechumens and communed all with the Holy
Mysteries. All 20,000 of those praying died in the fire. Among them were the
hegumeness Agathia and Saint Theophila who had been saved by a miracle from
the den of iniquity. Bishop Anthymos however managed to escape the fire.
Maximian reckoned that he had finished off all the Christians of Nicomedia.
But he soon learned that there were many more, and that they all as before
would confess their faith and were prepared to die for Christ. The emperor
pondered over how to deal with them. By his command they arrested the regimental-commander
Zinon, who openly before the people was criticising the emperor for impiety
and cruelty. Zinon was fiercely beaten and finally beheaded. They locked up
in prison the eunuch Indysos, formerly a priest to idols, for his refusal to
participate in a pagan feastday.
Amidst all this, Saint Domna concealed herself within a cave and nourished
herself eating plants. The persecution against Christians continued. In the
locale elsewhere, in Italy, there were thrown into prison Dorotheus, Mardonius,
Migdonius the Deacon and some dignitaries. Bishop Anthymos encouraged them,
sending epistles to them. One of the messengers, the deacon Theophilos, was
captured. Interrogating him about the bishop, they subjected him to torture,
but the holy martyr endured all the tortures, revealing nothing. Then together
with him they executed those, whom the bishop had addressed in his letter.
When Saint Domna returned to the city, she cried for a long time at the burnt-out
ruins, regretting that she was not found worthy to die with her sisters. Then
she went along the sea shore. At that moment fishermen pulled out of the water
with their nets the bodies of the martyrs Indysos, Gorgonios and Peter. Saint
Domna was still dressed in men's clothing, and she helped the fishermen to
draw in their nets. They left her the bodies of the martyrs. With reverence
she looked after the holy remains; in particular, she was gladdened that she
saw the body of her spiritual friend – the Martyr Indysos. After the
burial, she did not depart these graves so dear to her heart, but daily made
incensing before them. When the emperor was told about an unknown youth who
paid respects at the graves of executed Christians, he gave orders to behead
the youth. Together with Domna was executed also the Martyr Euthymios.
Saint Joseph the Betrothed
Commemorated Sunday after Nativity
Saint Joseph the Betrothed was descended from the lineage of King David. In his first marriage, he had four sons and two daughters. Having become a widower, Saint Joseph led a life of strict temperance. As an eighty year old elder Saint Joseph was chosen by the high-priests as a protector of the virginity of the MostHoly Mother of God, Who had taken a vow of virginity. An Angel announced to him about the Incarnation through Her of the Son of God. Saint Joseph was present during the worship of the NewBorn Divine-Infant by the shepherds, and also by the Magi. On the orders of the Angel he fled with the Mother of God and the God-Infant Jesus into Egypt, saving them from the wrath of king Herod. In Egypt he lived with the Virgin Mary and the God-Infant, earning his livelihood by work as a carpenter. Saint Joseph died at about one hundred years old (a 2nd Commemoration of Saint Joseph is on the Sunday of the Holy ForeFathers).
The Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Commemorated on January 1/January 14
The Circumcision (Obrezanie) of the Lord: On the eighth day after His Nativity, our Lord Jesus Christ – in accordance with the Old Testament Law, accepted circumcision, which was decreed for all infants of the male gender as a sign of the Covenant of God with the Forefather Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 17: 10-14, Lev. 12: 3). Upon the performing of this ritual the Divine Infant was given the name Jesus, which had been announced by the Archangel Gabriel on the day of the Annunciation (Blagoveschenie) to the MostHoly Virgin Mary (Lk. 1: 31-33, 2: 21). According to the explanation of the fathers of the Church the Lord, the Creator of the Law, accepted circumcision, giving example for people how faithfully the Divine ordinances ought to be fulfilled. The Lord accepted circumcision for this reason – so that later on no one should be in doubt that He was truly Man, rather than merely being the bearer of illusion-seeming flesh as certain heretics (Docetism) happened to teach. In the New Testament (Covenant) the ritual of circumcision gave way to the sacrament of Baptism, which it pre-figured (Col. 2: 11-12). Accounts about the feastday of the Circumcision of the Lord in the Eastern Church continue right up through the IV Century. The Canon of the feast was written by the Monk Stephen Savvaites (Comm. 28 October and 13 July). Together with the Circumcision, accepted by the Lord as a sign of the Covenant of God with mankind, He received also the Name Jesus (Saviour) as the seal of His service – the deed of the Salvation of the world (Mt. 1: 21; Mk. 9: 38-39, 16: 17; Lk. 10: 17; Acts 3: 6, 16; Phil. 2: 9-10). These two events, the Circumcision and Naming, remind Christians that they have entered into a New Covenant (Testament) with God and "are circumcised with a circumcision not done by hand, in putting off the sinful body of the flesh, by the Circumcision of Christ" (Col. 2: 11). The very name "Christian" witnesses to an entrance of mankind into a New Covenant with God.
St. Basil the Great, archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (379)
Commemorated on January 1/January 14
Sainted
Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea Cappadocia, "belongs
not to the Church of Caesarea alone, nor merely to his own time,
nor to his own kinsmen was he merely of benefit, but rather to
all lands and cities worldwide, and to all people he brought
and yet brings benefit, and for Christians he always was and
will be a teacher most salvific", – thus spoke the
contemporary of Saint Basil, – Sainted Amphylokhios, Bishop
of Iconium (+ 344, Comm. 23 November).
Saint Basil was born in about the year 330 at Caesarea, the administrative
centre of Cappadocia. He was of illustrious lineage, famed for its eminence
and wealth, and giftedly zealous for the Christian faith. The grandfather and
grandmother of the saint on his father's side, during the time of persecution
under Diocletian, had to hide themselves away in the forests of Pontum for
a space of seven years. The mother of Saint Basil – Saint Emilia (Emily),
was the daughter of a martyr. The father of Saint Basil was also named Basil:
he was a lawyer and reknown rhetorician and lived constantly at Caesarea.
Into the family of this elder Basil ten children were born – five sons
and five daughters. Of these, five were later enumerated to the ranks of the
Saints: Basil the Great; Macrina (Comm. 19 July) – was an exemplar of
ascetic life, and exerted strong influence on the life and character of Saint
Basil the Great; Gregory, afterwards Bishop of Nyssa (Comm. 10 January); Peter,
Bishop of Sebasteia (Comm. 9 January); and Righteous Theozua – a deaconess
(Comm. 10 January). Saint Basil spent the first years of his life on an estate
belonging to his parents at the River Irisa, where he was raised under the
supervision of his mother Emilia and grandmother Macrina. They were women of
great refinement, preserving in memory the tradition of an earlier sainted-hierarch
of Cappadocia – Sainted Gregory Thaumatougos (Wonderworker) (+ c. 266-270,
Comm. 17 November). Basil received his initial education under the supervision
of his father, and then he studied under the finest teachers in Caesarea Cappadocia,
and it was here that he made the acquaintance of Sainted Gregory the Theologian
(Bogoslov, i.e. title of Saint Gregory Nazianzus; Comm. 25 January and 30 January).
Later on, Basil transferred to school at Constantinople, where he listened
to eminent orators and philosophers. For the finishing touches to his education
Saint Basil set off to Athens – a centre of classical enlightenment.
After a four or five year stay at Athens, Basil the Great had mastered all
the available disciplines: "He so thoroughly studied everything, more
than others are wont to study a single subject, each science he studied to
its very totality, as though he would study naught else". Philosopher,
philologist, orator, jurist, naturalist, possessing profound knowledge in astronomy,
mathematics and medicine, – "this was a ship, loaded down full of
learning, to the extent allowed of by human nature". At Athens a close
friendship developed between Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian (Nazianzus),
which continued throughout all their life. Later on, in an eulogy to Basil
the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian speaks with delight about this period: "Various
hopes guided us and in deed inevitably – in learning... Two paths opened
up before us: the one – to our sacred temples and the teachers therein;
the other – towards preceptors of disciplines beyond".
In about the year 357 Saint Basil returned to Caesarea, where for a certain
while he devoted himself to rhetoric. But soon, refusing offers from Caesarea
citizens wanting to entrust him with the education of their offspring, Saint
Basil entered upon the path of ascetic life.
After the death of her husband, Basil's mother together with her eldest daughter
Macrina and several maid-servants withdrew to the family estate at Irisa and
there began to lead an ascetic life. Basil, however, having accepted Baptism
from the bishop of Caesarea Dianios, was ordained a reader. As an expounder
of the Sacred Scriptures, he at first read them to the people. Later on, "wanting
to acquire a guide to the knowledge of truth", the saint undertook a journey
into Egypt, Syria and Palestine, – to the great Christian ascetics dwelling
there. Upon returning to Cappadocia, he decided to do likewise. Having given
his wealth to the needy, Saint Basil settled on the opposite side of the river
not far from his mother Emilia and sister Macrina, gathering around him monks
living in common community. Through his letters, Basil the great attracted
to the wilderness monastery his good friend Gregory the Theologian. Saints
Basil and Gregory asceticised amidst strict abstinence in their hovel, without
roof and without fireplace, and the food was very humble. They themselves heaved
the stones, planted and watered the trees, and carried heavy loads. Their hands
were constantly calloused from the hard work. For clothing Basil the great
had only chiton-tunic and monastic mantle; the hairshirt he wore only at night,
so that it would not be obvious. In their solitude, Saints Basil and Gregory
occupied themselves in an intense study of Holy Scripture with manuscript guidances
from the most ancient commentators, and in parts Origen also, – from
all whose works they compiled an anthology – a Philokalia (Dobrotoliubie).
And also at this time at the request of the monks, Basil the Great wrote down
a collection of rules for virtuous life. By his preachings and by his example
Saint Basil the Great assisted in the spiritual perfecting of Christians in
Cappadocia and Pontus; and many indeed turned to him. Monasteries were organised
for men and for women, in which places Basil sought to unite the coenobitic
(koine-bios or life in common) lifestyle with that of the solitary hermit.
During the reign of Constantius (337-361) the heretical false-teachings of
Arius spread about, and the Church summoned both its saints into service. Saint
Basil returned to Caesarea. In the year 362 he was ordained deacon by the bishop
of Antioch, Meletios; later on, in 364 he was ordained to the dignity of priest
by the bishop of Caesarea, Eusebios. "But seeing, – as Gregory the
Theologian relates, – that everyone exceedingly praised and honoured
Basil for his wisdom and reverence, Eusebios, through human weakness, succumbed
to jealousy of him, and began to show dislike for him". The monks rose
up in defense of saint Basil. To avoid causing Church discord, Basil withdrew
to his own monastery and concerned himself with the organisation of monasteries.
With the coming to power of the emperor Valens (364-378), who was a resolute
adherent of Arianism, there began for Orthodoxy the onset of a time of troubles – "the
onset of the great struggle". Saint Basil then hastily returned to Caesarea
at the call of bishop Eusebios. In the words of Gregory the Theologian, he
was for bishop Eusebios "a good advisor, a righteous representative, an
expounder of the Word of God, a staff for the aged, a faithful support in matters
internal, and an activist in matter external". From this time church governance
passed over to Basil, though he was subordinate to the hierarch. He preached
daily, and often twice so – in the morning and in the evening. And during
this time Saint Basil compiled the order of his Liturgy; he wrote a work "Discourse
on the Six Days" and another in 16 Chapters on the Prophet Isaiah, yet
another on the Psalms, and also a second compilation of monastic rules. Saint
Basil wrote also Three Books "Against Eunomios", an Arian teacher
who with the help of Aristotelian concepts had presented the Arian dogmatics
in learnedly philosophic form, converting the Christian teaching into a logical
scheme of rationalist concepts.
Saint Gregory the Theologian, speaking about the activity of Basil the Great
during this period, points to "the caring for the destitute and the taking
in of strangers, the supervision of virgins, written and unwritten monastic
rule for the monasticising, the arrangement of prayers (Liturgy), the felicitous
arrangement of altars and other things". Upon the death of the bishop
of Caesarea Eusebios, Saint Basil in the year 370 was elevated onto his cathedra-chair.
As Bishop of Caesarea, Saint Basil the Great was the newest in rank of 50 bishops
in eleven provinces. Sainted Athanasias the great (Comm. 2 May), with joy and
with thanks to God welcomed the bestowing of Cappadocia with such a bishop
as Basil, famed for his reverence, deep knowledge of Holy Scripture, great
learning, and his efforts for the welfare of Church peace and unity. In the
empire of Valens the external government belonged to the Arians, who held several
various opinions on questions of the Divinity of the Son of God and hence were
divided into several factions. And to these dogmatic disputes were connected
questions about the Holy Spirit. In his books "Against Eunomios",
Saint Basil the Great taught about the Divinity of the Holy Spirit and Its
Oneness together with the Father and the Son. Subsequently, for a full explanation
of the Orthodox teaching on this question, – at the request of the Bishop
of Iconium Saint Amphylokhios, Saint Basil wrote his book "About the Holy
Spirit".
The generally sorry state of affairs for the Caesarea bishop was made even
worse by various circumstances: Cappadocia was divided in two under the re-arrangement
of governance of provincial districts. Then too at Antioch a schism occurred,
occasioned by the ordination of a second bishop. There was the negative and
haughty attitude of Western bishops to the attempts to draw them into the struggle
with the Arians. And there was also the departure over to the Arian side by
Eustathios of Sebasteia, with whom Basil had been connected by close friendship.
Amidst the constant perils Saint Basil gave encouragement to the Orthodox,
affirmed them in the faith, summoning them to bravery and endurance. The holy
bishop wrote numerous letters to the Churches, to bishops, to clergy and to
individuals. Overcoming the heretics "by the weapon of his mouth, and
by the arrows of his letters", as an untiring champion of Orthodoxy, Saint
Basil all his life gave challenge to the hostility and the every which way
possible intrigues of the Arian heretics.
The emperor Valens, mercilessly dispatching into exile any bishops that displeased
him, and having implanted Arianism into other Asia Minor provinces, suddenly
appeared in Cappadocia for precisely this purpose. He sent off to Saint Basil
the prefect Modestus, who began to threaten the saint with ruin, banishment,
beatings and even death by execution. "All this, – replied Basil, – for
me means nothing, since one cannot be deprived of possessions that one does
not have, beyond some old worn-out clothing and some books, which comprises
the entirety of my wealth. For me it would not be exile, since I am bound to
no particular place, and this place in which I now dwell is not mine, and indeed
any place whither I be cast shalt be mine. Better it is to say: everywhere
is the place of God, whither be naught stranger nor new-comer (Ps. 38 [39]:
13). And what tortures can ye do me? – I am so weak, that merely but
the very first blow will be felt. Death for me would be an act of kindness:
it wilt bring me all the sooner to God, for Whom I live and do labour, and
to Whom moreover I do strive". The official was bewildered by such an
answer. "Perhaps, – continued the saint, – thou hast never
had encounter with a bishop; otherwise, without doubt, thou wouldst have heard
suchlike words. In all else we are meek, the most humble of all, and not only
afront the mighty, but also afront all, since such is prescribed for us by
the law. But when it is a matter concerning God and they make bold to rise
up against Him, then we – being mindful of naught else, think only of
Him alone, and then fire, sword, wild beasts and chains, the rending of the
body, would sooner hold satisfaction for us, than to be afraid".
Reporting to Valens on the not to be intimidated Saint Basil, Modestus said: "Emperor,
we stand defeated by a leader of the Church". Basil the Great again showed
firmness and in front of the very person of the emperor himself and his retinue
produced such a strong impression on Valens, that the emperor dared not give
in to the Arians demanding the exile of Basil. "On the day of Theophany,
amidst an innumerable multitude of the people, Valens entered the church and
mixed in amidst the throng, in order to give the appearance of being in unity
with the Church. When began the singing of psalmody in the church, it was like
thunder to his hearing. The emperor beheld a sea of people, and in the altar
and all around was splendour; in front of all was Basil, acknowledging neither
by gesture nor by glance, as though in church was occurred aught else, than
that everything was intent only on God and the altar-table, and the clergy
thereat in awe and reverence".
Saint Basil almost daily celebrated Divine-services. He was particularly concerned
about the strict fulfilling of the canons of the Church, and kept attentive
watch, so that only worthy individuals should enter into the clergy. He incessantly
made the rounds of his own church, lest anywhere there be an infraction of
Church discipline, and setting aright any unseemliness. At Caesarea Saint Basil
built two monasteries, a men's and a women's, with a church in honour of 40
Martyrs whose relics were buried there. On the example of monks, the metropolitan
clergy of the saint , – even deacons and priests lived in remarkable
poverty, to toil and lead lives chaste and virtuous. For his clergy Saint Basil
got an exemption from taxes. All his personal wealth and the income-proceeds
from his church he used for the benefit of the destitute; in every centre of
his diocese he built a poor-house; at Caesarea – an home for wanderers
and the homeless.
Sickly since youth, the toil of teaching, efforts at abstinence, the concerns
and sorrows of pastoral service early sapped the strength of the saint. Saint
Basil died on 1 January 379 at age 49. Shortly before his death, the saint
gave blessing to Saint Gregory the Theologian to enter upon the Constantinople
cathedra-chair.
Upon the repose of Saint Basil, the Church immediately began to celebrate his
memory. Saint Amphylokhios, Bishop of Iconium (+ 394), in his eulogy to Sainted
Basil the Great, said: "It is neither without a reason nor by chance that
holy Basil hath taken leave from the body and had repose from the world unto
God on the day of the Circumcision of Jesus, celebrated betwixt the day of
the Nativity and the day of the Baptism of Christ. Wherefore this most blessed
one, preaching and praising the Nativity and Baptism of Christ, extolling spiritual
circumcision, himself forsaking the flesh, doth ascend to Christ now especially
on the sacred day of remembrance of the Circumcision of Christ. Therefore also
let be established on this present day annually to honour the memory of Basil
the Great festally and solemnly".
St. Sylvester, pope of Rome (335)
Commemorated on January 2/January 15
The Holy Pope of Rome Sylvester (314-335) was born at Rome
of Christian parents named Rufinus and Justa. His father soon
died, and the saint remained in the care of his mother. Sylvester's
teacher, the presbyter Quirinus, gave him a fine education and
raised him as a true Christian. Having reached the age of maturity,
Sylvester set about fulfilling the command of the Lord about
service to neighbour, and particularly concerned himself with
the taking in of vagrants, offering them in his own house shelter
and respite. During a time of persecution against Christians,
Sylvester did not hesitate to take in the holy confessor Bishop
Timothy, who dwelt with him for more than a year and who by his
preaching converted many to Christ. After the Martyr's death
of Timothy, Sylvester secretly took up the body of the saint
and reverently gave it burial. This however came to the attention
of the city-head Tarquinius, and the saint was arrested and brought
to trial. Tarquinius demanded him to renounce Christ, threatening
him with torture and death. Saint Sylvester was however not intimidated,
and he remained steadfast in his confession of faith, and was
then thrown into prison. When Tarquinius suddenly died after
the trial, the saint was set free and fearlessly he evangelised
amongst the pagans, converting many to Christianity. At thirty
years of age Saint Sylvester was accepted into the clergy of
the Roman Church and was ordained to the dignity of deacon, and
then also presbyter, by Pope Marcellinus (296-304). After the
death of Pope Militiades (or Melchiades, 311-314), Saint Sylvester
was chosen bishop of Rome. He zealously concerned himself about
the purity of life in his flock, and he insisted that presbyters
strictly fulfill their duty, and not be overwhelmed with worldly
matters.
Saint Sylvester became reknown as a profound expert on Holy Scripture
and as a staunch defender of the Christian faith. During the
reign of the emperor
Saint Constantine the Great, when the periods of persecution had ended for
the Church, the Jews arranged a debate about the true faith, at which were
present the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and his mother – the
holy Empress Helen, together with a numerous retinue. On the side of the Christians
Pope Sylvester stood forth, and on the side of the Jews – a number of
learned rabbis, headed by Zambrius, a magician and sorcerer. On the basis of
the Sacred books of the Old Testament, Saint Sylvester convincingly demonstrated,
that all the prophets foretold the Birth of Jesus Christ from the Immaculate
Virgin, and also His voluntary Suffering and Death for the Redemption of the
fallen race of mankind, and His glorious Resurrection. In this verbal confrontation
the saint was declared the victor. Then Zambrius tried to resort to sorcery,
but the saint obstructed the evil by calling on the Name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Zambrius and the other Jews came to believe in Jesus Christ, and they
besought that there be made over them the holy Baptism. Pope Saint Sylvester
directed the Roman Church for more than twenty years, and earning deep esteem
as a Christian. He died peacefully in old age in the year 335.
Prophet Malachias (400 B.C.)
Commemorated on January 3/January 16
The Holy Prophet Malachi lived 400 years before the Birth of Christ, during the time of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity. Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets, wherefore the holy fathers call him "the sealing-shut of the prophets". Manifesting himself an image of spiritual goodness and piety, he astounded the nation and was called Malachiei, i.e. an angel or messenger. In the Canon of Scriptural Books is included also his prophetic book, in which he upbraids the Jews, foretelling the coming of Jesus Christ and His Forerunner, and also the Last Judgement (Mal. 3: 1-5; 4: 1-6).
The
Sobor (Assemblage) of the Seventy Disciples ("Apostles")
Commemorated on January 4/January 17
The Sobor
(Assemblage) of the Seventy Disciples ("Apostles")
was established by the Orthodox Church so as to indicate the
equal honour of each of the Seventy, and to avert dissonance
in their veneration. [Translator Note: Russian idiomatic useage
refers both to the "12" and to the "70" as "Apostle";
whereas English idiomatic useage refers to the "12" as "Apostle" and
to the "70" as "Disciple".] They were chosen
by the Lord Jesus Christ, in order to evangelise the Gospel to
all the world.
Besides the celebration of the Sobor (Assemblage) of the Holy Disciples, the
Church celebrates the memory of each of them during the course of the year:
the Disciple James, Brother of the Lord (23 October); Mark the Evangelist (25
April); Luke the Evangelist (18 October); Cleopas, brother of Joseph the Betrothed,
and Simeon his son (27 April); Barnabas (11 June); Josiah, or Joseph, named
Barsaba or Justus (30 October); Thaddeus (21 August); Ananias (1 October);
Stephen, Archdeacon (27 December); Philip from the 7 Deacons (11 October);
Prochoros from the 7 Deacons (28 July); Nikanor from the 7 Deacons (28 July
and 28 December); Timon from the 7 Deacons (28 July and 30 December); Parmenas
from the 7 Deacons (28 June); Timothy (22 January); Titus (25 August); Philemon
(22 November and 19 February); Onysimos (15 February); Epaphrasos and Archippos
(22 November and 19 February); Silas, Sylvanus, Criscentus or Criscus (30 July);
Crispus and Epenetos (30 July); Andronikos (17 May and 30 July); Stakhias,
Amplias, Urban, Narcissos, Apellias (31 October); Aristoboulos (31 October
and 16 March); Herodion or Rodion (8 April and 10 November); Ahab, Rufus, Asinkritos,
Phlegontos (8 April); Hermas (5 November and 31 May); Patrobus (5 November);
Hermias (8 April); Linus, Caius, Philologos (5 November); Lucius (10 September);
Jason (28 April); Sosipater (28 April and 10 November); Olympos or Olympanus
(10 November); Tercias (30 October and 10 November); Herastos, Quartus (10
November); Evodus (7 September); Onysiphoros (7 September and 8 December);
Clement (25 November); Sosthenes (8 December); Apollos (10 September and 8
December); Tykhikos, Epaphrodites (8 December); Carpus (26 May); Codratus (21
September); Mark who is John, Zeno (27 September); Aristarchus (15 April and
27 September); Pudas, Trophymos (15 April); Mark nephew of Barnabas, Artemis
(30 October); Aquila (14 July); Fortunatus, Achaecus (4 January).
With the Descent of the Holy Spirit the disciples preached in various lands.
Some accompanied the Apostles from the 12, like the holy Evangelists Mark and
Luke, or the companion of the holy Apostle Paul – Timothy, or the disciple
of the holy Evangelist John the Theologian – Prochoros, and others. Many
of them were thrown into prison for Christ, and many received the crown of
a martyr's death.
To the 70 Disciples are enumerated yet two – the holy Disciple Cephas,
to whom the Lord appeared after the Resurrection (1 Cor. 15: 5-6), and Simeon,
by nickname Niger (Acts 13:1), wherefore they also were glorified by apostolic
preaching.
The Church in particular venerates and praises the 70 Disciples in that they
taught to honour the Trinity One-in-Essence and Un-Divided.
In the IX Century the Orthodox Church received from Joseph the Melodist the
Kanon for the Day of the Sobor (Assemblage) of the 70 Disciples of Christ.
Dionysios the Areopagite and Simeon Niger. The account about them is located
under 3 October and 27 April.
The Holy Prophet Micah
Commemorated on January 5/January 18
The Holy Prophet Micah was a companion of the holy prophet Elias. He prophesied the ruin of King Ahab in a war with the Assyrians, for which he was put into prison. Set free after the downfall of Ahab (3 Kings 22: 8-22), the holy prophet Micah died a martyr in the IX Century BC.
The Holy Theophany of Our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ
(Baptism of the Lord)
Commemorated on January 6/January 19
Theophany
/ Bogoyavlenie denotes the feast whereby through the Baptism
of the Lord the
MostHoly Trinity has been revealed
to the world (Mt. 3: 13-17; Mk. 1: 9-11; Lk. 3: 21-22). God the
Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptised
by the holy ForeRunner of the Lord John, and the Holy Spirit
descended upon the Son in the form of a Dove. From ancient times
this feast was called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of
Lights, since that God is Light and has appeared to illumine "those
sitting in darkness and the shadow of death" (Mt. 4: 16)
and to save through grace the fallen race of mankind.
In the ancient Church it was the custom to baptise catechumens at the vespers
of Theophany, such that Baptism also is revealed as a spiritual illumination
of mankind.
The origin of the feast of Theophany came about in Apostolic times. Mention
is made concerning it in the Apostolic Decretals. From the II Century there
is preserved the testimony of Sainted Clement of Alexandria concerning the
celebration of the Baptism of the Lord and performing the night vigil before
this feast.
In the III Century on the feast of Theophany there is known the dialogue concerning
Divine-services between the holy martyr Hyppolitus and Saint Gregory the WonderWorker.
In the following centuries – from the IV to IX Century – all the
great fathers of the Church – Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostomos,
Ambrose of Milan, John Damascene, had their own comments about the feast of
Theophany. The monks Joseph the Studite, Theophanes and Byzantios composed
much liturgical music for this feastday, which even now is sung for Divine-services.
The Monk John Damascene said, that the Lord was baptised not because He Himself
had need for cleansing, but so that "by water to bury human sin",
to fulfill the law, to reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and finally,
to sanctify "watery nature" and to proffer it to us in the form and
example of Baptism.
On the feastday of the Baptism of Christ, Holy Church asserts our faith in
the mystery – most sublime and incomprehensible to human intellect – of
the Three Persons of the One God. It teaches us to confess and glorify as equally-honoured
the Holy Trinity One-Essence and Undivided. It exposes and collapses the fallacies
of the ancient pseudo-teachings, which attempted with reason and by human terms
to explain the Creator of the world. The Church shews the necessity of Baptism
for believers in Christ, and it inspires for us a sense of deep gratitude for
the Illumination and Purification of our sinful nature. The Church teaches
that our salvation and cleansing from sin is possible only by the power of
the grace of the Holy Spirit, wherefore it is necessary to preserve worthily
these gifts of the grace of holy Baptism – keeping clean this priceless
garb, about which the feast of the Baptism tells us: "As many as have
been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27).
[Translator Note: literally rendered from Greek "Theophany" means "Manifestation
of God", whereas "Epiphany" connotes "Manifest upon"; "Theophany" is
the more accurate rendering of Slavonic "Bogoyavlenie".]
DISCOURSE ON THE DAY OF THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST
of Sainted John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople
We shall
now say something about the present feast. Many celebrate the
feastdays
and know their designations, but the cause for
which they were established they know not. Thus concerning this,
that the present feast is called Theophany – everyone knows;
but what this is – Theophany, and whether it be one thing
or another, they know not. And this is shameful – every
year to celebrate the feastday and not know its reason.
First of all therefore, it is necessary to say that there is
not one Theophany, but two: the one actual, which already has
occurred, and the second in future,
which will happen with glory at the end of the world. About this one and about
the other you will hear today from Paul, who in conversing with Titus, speaks
thus about the present: "The grace of God hath revealed itself, having
saved all mankind, decreeing, that we reject iniquity and worldly desires,
and dwell in the present age in prudence and in righteousness and piety", – and
about the future: "awaiting the blessed hope and glorious appearance of
our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ" (Tit. 2: 11-13). And a prophet
speaks thus about this latter: "the sun shalt turn to darkness, and the
moon to blood at first, then shalt come the great and illuminating Day of the
Lord" (Joel 2:31). Why is not that day, on which the Lord was born, considered
Theophany – but rather this day on which He was baptised? This present
day it is, on which He was baptised and sanctified the nature of water. Because
on this day all, having obtained the waters, do carry it home and keep it all
year, since today the waters are sanctified; and an obvious phenomenon occurs:
these waters in their essence do not spoil with the passage of time, but obtained
today, for one whole year and often for two or three years, they remain unharmed
and fresh, and afterwards for a long time do not stop being water, just as
that obtained from the fountains.
Why then is this day called Theophany? Because Christ made Himself known to
all – not then when He was born – but then when He was baptised.
Until this time He was not known to the people. And that the people did not
know Him, Who He was, listen about this to John the Baptist, who says: "Amidst
you standeth, Him Whom ye know not of" (Jn. 1:26). And is it surprising
that others did not know Him, when even the Baptist did not know Him until
that day? "And I, – said he, – knew Him not: but He that did
send me to baptise with water, about This One did tell unto me: over Him that
shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding upon Him, This One it is Who baptiseth
in the Holy Spirit" (Jn. 1:33). Thus from this it is evident, that – there
are two Theophanies, and why Christ comes at baptism and on whichever baptism
He comes, about this it is necessary to say: it is therefore necessary to know
both the one and equally the other. And first it is necessary to speak your
love about the latter, so that we might learn about the former. There was a
Jewish baptism, which cleansed from bodily impurities, but not to remove sins.
Thus, whoever committed adultery, or decided on thievery, or who did some other
kind of misdeed, it did not free him from guilt. But whoever touched the bones
of the dead, whoever tasted food forbidden by the law, whoever approached from
contamination, whoever consorted with lepers – that one washed, and until
evening was impure, and then cleansed. "Let one wash his body in pure
water – it says in the Scriptures, – and he will be unclean until
evening, and then he will be clean" (Lev. 15: 5, 22: 4). This was not
truly of sins or impurities, but since the Jews lacked perfection, then God,
accomplishing it by means of this greater piety, prepared them by their beginnings
for a precise observance of important things.
Thus, Jewish cleansings did not free from sins, but only from bodily impurities.
Not so with ours: it is far more sublime and it manifests a great grace, whereby
it sets free from sin, it cleanses the spirit and bestows the gifts of the
Spirit. And the baptism of John was far more sublime than the Jewish, but less
so than ours: it was like a bridge between both baptisms, leading across itself
from the first to the last. Wherefore John did not give guidance for observance
of bodily purifications, but together with them he exhorted and advised to
be converted from vice to good deeds and to trust in the hope of salvation
and the accomplishing of good deeds, rather than in different washings and
purifications by water. John did not say: wash your clothes, wash your body,
and ye will be pure, but what? – "bear ye fruits worthy of repentance" (Mt.
3: 8). Since it was more than of the Jews, but less than ours: the baptism
of John did not impart the Holy Spirit and it did not grant forgiveness by
grace: it gave the commandment to repent, but it was powerless to absolve sins.
Wherefore John did also say: "I baptise you with water...That One however
will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Mt. 3: 11). Obviously,
he did not baptise with the Spirit. But what does this mean: "with the
Holy Spirit and with fire?" Call to mind that day, on which for the Apostles "there
appeared disparate tongues like fire, and sat over each one of them" (Acts
2: 3). And that the baptism of John did not impart the Spirit and remission
of sins is evident from the following: Paul "found certain disciples,
and said to them: received ye the Holy Spirit since ye have believed? They
said to him: but furthermore whether it be of the Holy Spirit, we shall hear.
He said to them: into what were ye baptised? They answered: into the baptism
of John. Paul then said: John indeed baptised with the baptism of repentance", – repentance,
but not remission of sins; for whom did he baptise? "Having proclaimed
to the people, that they should believe in the One coming after him, namely,
Christ Jesus. Having heard this, they were baptised in the Name of the Lord
Jesus: and Paul laying his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them" (Acts
19: 1-6). Do you see, how incomplete was the baptism of John? If the one were
not incomplete, would then Paul have baptised them again, and placed his hands
on them; having performed also the second, he shew the superiority of the apostolic
Baptism and that the baptism of John was far less than his. Thus, from this
we recognise the difference of the baptisms.
Now it is necessary to say, for whom was Christ baptised and by which baptism?
Neither the former the Jewish, nor the last – ours. Whence hath He need
for remission of sins, how is this possible for Him, Who hath not any sins? "Of
sin, – it says in the Scriptures, – worked He not, nor was there
deceit found in His mouth" (1 Pet. 2: 22); and further, "who of you
convicteth Me of Sin?" (Jn. 8: 46). And His flesh was privy to the Holy
Spirit; how might this be possible, when it in the beginning was fashioned
by the Holy Spirit? And so, if His flesh was privy to the Holy Spirit, and
He was not subject to sins, then for whom was He baptised? But first of all
it is necessary for us to recognise, by which baptism He was baptised, and
then it will be clear for us. By which baptism indeed was He baptised? – Not
the Jewish, nor ours, nor John's. For whom, since thou from thine own aspect
of baptism dost perceive, that He was baptised not by reason of sin and not
having need of the gift of the Spirit; therefore, as we have demonstrated,
this baptism was alien to the one and to the other. Hence it is evident, that
He came to Jordan not for the forgiveness of sins and not for receiving the
gifts of the Spirit. But so that some from those present then should not think,
that He came for repentance like others, listen to how John precluded this.
What he then spoke to the others then was: "Bear ye fruits worthy of repentance";
but listen what he said to Him: "I have need to be baptised of Thee, and
Thou art come to me?" (Mt. 3: 8, 14). With these words he demonstrated,
that Christ came to him not through that need with which people came, and that
He was so far from the need to be baptised for this reason, – so much
more sublime and perfectly purer than Baptism itself. For whom was He baptised,
if this was done not for repentance, nor for the remission of sins, nor for
receiving the gifts of the Spirit? Through the other two reasons, of which
about the one the disciple speaks, and about the other He Himself spoke to
John. Which reason of this baptism did John declare? Namely, that Christ should
become known to the people, as Paul also mentions: "John therefore baptised
with the baptism of repentance, so that through him they should believe on
Him that cometh" (Acts 19: 4); this was the consequence of the baptism.
If John had gone to the home of each and, standing at the door, had spoken
out for Christ and said: "He is the Son of God", such a testimony
would have been suspicious, and this deed would have been extremely perplexing.
So too, if he in advocating Christ had gone into the synagogues and witnessed
to Him, this testimony of his might be suspiciously fabricated. But when all
the people thronged out from all the cities to Jordan and remained on the banks
of the river, and when He Himself came to be baptised and received the testimony
of the Father by a voice from above and by the coming-upon of the Spirit in
the form of a dove, then the testimony of John about Him was made beyond all
questioning. And since he said: "and I knew Him not" (Jn. 1: 31),
his testimony put forth is trustworthy. They were kindred after the flesh between
themselves "wherefore Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, hath also conceived a
son" – said the Angel to Mary about the mother of John (Lk. 1: 36);
if however the mothers were relatives, then obviously so also were the children.
Thus, since they were kinsmen, – in order that it should not seem that
John would testify concerning Christ because of kinship, the grace of the Spirit
organised it such, that John spent all his early years in the wilderness, so
that it should not seem that John had declared his testimony out of friendship
or some similar reason. But John, as he was instructed of God, thus also announced
about Him, wherein also he did say: "and I knew Him not". From whence
didst thou find out? "He having sent me that sayeth to baptise with water,
That One did tell me" What did He tell thee? "Over Him thou shalt
see the Spirit descending, like to a dove, and abiding over Him, That One is
baptised by the Holy Spirit" (Jn. 1: 32-33). Dost thou see, that the Holy
Spirit did not descend as in a first time then coming down upon Him, but in
order to point out that preached by His inspiration – as though by a
finger, it pointed Him out to all. For this reason He came to baptism.
And there is a second reason, about which He Himself spoke – what exactly
is it? When John said: "I have need to be baptised of Thee, and Thou art
come to me?" – He answered thus: "stay now, for thus it becometh
us to fulfill every righteousness" (Mt. 3: 14-15). Dost thou see the meekness
of the servant? Dost thou see the humility of the Master? What does He mean: "to
fulfill every righteousness?" By righteousness is meant the fulfillment
of all the commandments, as is said: "both were righteous, walking faultlessly
in the commandments of the Lord" (Lk. 1: 6). Since fulfilling this righteousness
was necessary for all people – but no one of them kept it or fulfilled
it – Christ came then and fulfilled this righteousness.
And what righteousness is there, someone will say, in being baptised? Obedience
for a prophet was righteous. As Christ was circumcised, offered sacrifice,
kept the sabbath and observed the Jewish feasts, so also He added this remaining
thing, that He was obedient to having been baptised by a prophet. It was the
will of God then, that all should be baptised – about which listen, as
John speaks: "He having sent me to baptise with water" (Jn. 1: 33);
so also Christ: "the publicans and the people do justify God, having been
baptised with the baptism of John; the pharisees and the lawyers reject the
counsel of God concerning themselves, not having been baptised by him" (Lk.
7: 29-30). Thus, if obedience to God constitutes righteousness, and God sent
John to baptise the nation, then Christ has also fulfilled this along with
all the other commandments.
Consider, that the commandments of the law is the main point of the two denarii:
this – debt, which our race has needed to pay; but we did not pay it,
and we, falling under such an accusation, are embraced by death. Christ came,
and finding us afflicted by it, – He paid the debt, fulfilled the necessary
and seized from it those, who were not able to pay. Wherefore He does not say: "it
is necessary for us to do this or that", but rather "to fulfill every
righteousness". "It is for Me, being the Master, – says He, – proper
to make payment for the needy". Such was the reason for His baptism – wherefore
they should see, that He had fulfilled all the law – both this reason
and also that, about which was spoken of before. Wherefore also the Spirit
did descend as a dove: because where there is reconciliation with God – there
also is the dove. So also in the ark of Noah the dove did bring the branch
of olive – a sign of God's love of mankind and of the cessation of the
flood. And now in the form of a dove, and not in a body – this particularly
deserves to be noted – the Spirit descended, announcing the universal
mercy of God and showing with it, that the spiritual man needs to be gentle,
simple and innocent, as Christ also says: "Except ye be converted and
become as children, ye shalt not enter into the Heavenly Kingdom" (Mt.
18: 3). But that ark, after the cessation of the flood, remained upon the earth;
this ark, after the cessation of wrath, is taken to heaven, and now this Immaculate
and Imperishable Body is situated at the right hand of the Father.
Having made mention about the Body of the Lord, I shall also say a little about
this, and then the conclusion of the talk. Many now will approach the Holy
Table on the occasion of the feast. But some approach not with trembling, but
shoving, hitting others, blazing with anger, shouting, cursing, roughing it
up with their fellows with great confusion. What, tell me, art thou troubled
by, my fellow? What disturbeth thee? Do urgent affairs, for certain, summon
thee? At this hour art thou particularly aware, that these affairs of thine
that thou particularly rememberest, that thou art situated upon the earth,
and dost thou think to mix about with people? But is it not with a soul of
stone naturally to think, that in such a time thou stand upon the earth, and
not exult with the Angels with whom to raise up victorious song to God? For
this Christ also did describe us with eagles, saying: "where the corpse
is, there are the eagles gathered" (Mt. 24: 28) – so that we might
have risen to heaven and soared to the heights, having ascended on the wings
of the spirit; but we, like snakes, crawl upon the earth and eat dirt. Having
been invited to supper, thou, although satiated before others, would not dare
to leave before others while others are still reclining. But here, when the
sacred doings are going on, thou at the very middle would pass by everything
and leave? Is it for a worthy excuse? What excuse might it be? Judas, having
communed that last evening on that final night, left hastily then as all the
others were still reclining. Here these also are in imitation of him, who leave
before the final blessing! If he had not gone, then he would not have made
the betrayal; if he did not leave his co-disciples, then he would not have
perished; if he had not removed himself from the flock, then the wolf would
not have seized and devoured him alone; if he had separated himself from the
Pastor, then he would not have made himself the prey of wild beasts. Wherefore
he (Judas) was with the Jews, and those (the apostles) went out with the Lord.
Dost thou see, by what manner the final prayer after the offering of the sacrifice
is accomplished? We should, beloved, stand forth for this, we should ponder
this, fearful of the coming judgement for this. We should approach the Holy
Sacrifice with great decorum, with proper piety, so as to merit us more of
God's benevolence, to cleanse one's soul and to receive eternal blessings,
of which may we all be worthy by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord
Jesus Christ, to with Whom the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory,
power, and worship now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Synaxis of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist,
John
Commemorated on January 7/January 20
Assemblage
("Sobor" or Synaxis")
of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John. Martyr Athanasias
of Attaleia
(+ 1770).
In the Orthodox Church the custom was established, that on the
day following the Great Feasts of the Lord and the Mother of
God, would be remembered those
saints who most essentially participated in whichever the sacred event. And
thus, on the day following after the Theophany of the Lord, the Church honours
he that participated directly in the Baptism of Christ, indeed placing his
own hand upon the head of the Saviour. Saint John, the holy Forerunner and
Baptist of the Lord, termed by our Lord the greatest of the prophets, both
concludes the history of the Old Testament and opens up the epoch of the New
Testament. The holy Prophet John gave witness concerning the arrival on earth
of the Only-Begotten Son of God, incarnated humanly in the flesh. Saint John
was deemed worthy to baptise Him in the waters of the Jordan and he was a witness
of the Theophany or Manifestation of the MostHoly Trinity on the day of the
Baptism of the Saviour. The holy Prophet John was a kinsman of the Lord on
His mother's side, the son of the Priest Zachariah and Righteous Elizabeth.
The holy Forerunner of the Lord, John, was born six months earlier than Christ
Jesus. The Archangel Gabriel was the messenger of his birth, in the Jerusalem
Temple revealing to his father, that for him a son was to be born. Through
the prayers offered up beforehand, the child was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Saint John prepared himself in the wilds of the desert for his great service
by a strict life, by fasting, prayer and sympathy for the fate of God's people.
At the age of about 30 years he came forth preaching repentance. He appeared
at the banks of the Jordan, by his preaching to prepare the people for acceptance
of the Saviour of the world. In the expression of churchly song, Saint John
was a "bright morning star", whose gleaming outshone the shining
of all the other stars, announcing the coming morning of the day of grace,
illumined with the light of the spiritual Son, – our Lord Jesus Christ.
Having baptised the sinless Lamb of God, Saint John soon died a martyr's death,
beheaded by the sword on orders of king Herod in fulfilling the request of
his daughter Salome. (About Saint John the Baptist, vide: Mt. 3: 1-16, 11:
1-19, 14: 1-12; Mk. 1: 2-8, 6: 14-29; Lk. 1: 5-25, 39-80, 3: 1-20, 7: 18-35,
9: 7-9; Jn. 1: 19-34, 3: 22-26).
On this day is commemorated also the Transfer of the Right
Hand of the holy Forerunner from Antioch to Tsargrad (956) and
the Miracle of Saint John the Forerunner against the Hagarites
(Mahometans) at Chios:
The body of Saint John the Baptist was buried in the Samaritan
city of Sebasteia. The holy Evangelist Luke, in making the rounds
preaching Christ in various
cities and towns, came in time to Sebasteia, where they gave over to him the
right hand of the holy Prophet John, the very hand with which he had baptised
the Saviour. The Evangelist Luke took it with him to his native city of Antioch.
When the Mahometans centuries later seized possession of Antioch, a deacon
named Job transported the holy hand of the Forerunner from Antioch to Chalcedon.
From there, on the very eve of the Theophany of the Lord, it was transferred
to Constantinople (956) and kept thereafter. In the year 1200 the Russian pilgrim
Dobrynya – who was later to be come the holy Archbishop of Novgorod Antonii
(Comm. 10 February), saw the right hand of the Forerunner in the imperial palaces.
From the Acts of the Saints it is known, that in the year 1263 during the seizure
of Constantinople by the Crusaders, the emperor Baldwin gave over one bone
from the wrist of Saint John the Baptist to Ottonus de Cichon, who then gave
it over to a Cistercian abbey in France. The right hand continued to be kept
in Constantinople. And at the end of the XIV thru beginning XV Centuries the
holy relic was seen at Constantinople in the Peribleptos monastery by the Russian
pilgrims: Stefan Novgorodets, deacon Ignatii, the cantor Alexander and deacon
Zosima. But with the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, sacred
objects were gathered up at the whim of the conqueror and preserved in the
imperial treasury, all locked up.
In the Acts of the Saints is presented clear testimony, that in the year 1484
the right hand of the holy Forerunner was given away by the son of the Mahometan
sultan Bayazet to the Rhodes knights to gain their good-will, since a dangerous
rival for Bayazet – his own brother, had situated himself amongst them.
And about this event there speaks also a contemporary participant, the Rhodes
vice-chancellor Wilhelm Gaorsan Gallo. The Rhodes knights, having established
their base on the island of Malta (in the Mediterranean Sea), then transferred
to Malta the sacred relic they had received. When the Russian emperor Paul
I (1796-1801) became grand-master of the Maltese Order in honour of the holy
Prophet John, the right hand of the Baptist, part of the Life-Creating Cross
and the Philermian Icon of the Mother of God were transferred in the year 1799
[because of the Napoleonic threat] from the island of Malta to Russia, to the
chapel at Gatchina (Comm. 12 October). In the same year these sacred items
were then transferred into the church in honour of the Saviour Icon Not-Made-by-Hand
at the Winter palace. And for this feast was compiled a special service.
Besides the Assemblage ("Sobor" or "Synaxis") of the venerable
glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John, the Russian Orthodox
Church celebrates his memory on the following days: 23 September – his
Conception (2 B.C.); 24 June – his Birth (1 B.C.); 29 August – his
Beheading (+ c. 32); 24 February – the First (IV) and Second (452) Finding
of the Head; the Third Finding of the Head (c. 850); 12 October – the
Transfer of the Right Hand from Malta to Gatchina (1799).
St. Gregory of Nyssa (395)
Commemorated on January 10/January 23
Sainted Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, was a younger brother of
Saint Basil the Great (Comm. 1 January). His birth and time of
upbringing coincided with the very heights of the Arian disputes.
Having received an excellent education, he was at one time a
teacher of rhetorical eloquence. In the year 372 he was ordained
by Saint Basil the Great as bishop of the city of Nyssa in Cappadocia.
Saint Gregory was an ardent advocate for Orthodoxy, and together
with his brother Saint Basil the great he fought against the
Arian heresy. He suffered persecution
by the Arians, by whom he was falsely accused in the year 376 of improper useage
of church property, and thereby deprived of his cathedra-seat and sent off
to Ancyra. In the following year Saint Gregory was again in absentia deposed
by a church-council of Arian bishops, but he continued to encourage his flock
in Orthodoxy, wandering about from place to place. After the death of the emperor
Valens (378), Saint Gregory was restored to his cathedra-seat and joyously
received by his flock. In the year 379 his brother Saint Basil the Great died.
Only with difficulty did Saint Gregory survive the loss of his brother and
guide. He crafted a funeral oration to him and completed compilation of Saint
Basil's study of the Six Days of Creation, the so-called "Hexaemeron".
This same year Saint Gregory participated in the Council of Antioch, against
heretics that disdained to honour the immaculate virginity of the Mother of
God, and others at the opposite extreme that worshipped the Mother of God as
Herself being God. He was chosen by the Council for an examination of churches
in Arabia and Palestine to assert the Orthodox teaching about the MostHoly
Mother of God. On his return journey Saint Gregory visited Jerusalem and the
Holy Places.
In the year 381 Saint Gregory was one of the chief figures of the Second OEcumenical
Council, convened at Constantinople against the heresy of Macedonias, who incorrectly
taught concerning the Holy Spirit. At this Council, on the initiative of Saint
Gregory, was completed the Nicean Symbol of Faith (i.e. the Creed).
Together with the other bishops Saint Gregory affirmed Sainted Gregory the
Theologian in the dignity of Archpastor of Constantinople.
In the year 383 Saint Gregory of Nyssa was a participant in a Council at Constantinople,
where he spoke a sermon about the Divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit.
In the year 386 he was again at Constantinople, and to him was entrusted to
speak the funeral oration in memory of the empress Placilla. And again in 394
Saint Gregory was present in Constantinople at a Local Council, convened for
resolving church matters in Arabia.
Sainted Gregory of Nyssa was a fiery defender of Orthodox dogmas and a zealous
teacher to his flock, a kind and compassionate father to his spiritual children,
and their intercessor before the courts. He was distinguished by his magnanimity,
patience and love for peace.
Having reached old age, Saint Gregory of Nyssa died peacefully, soon after
the Constantinople Council. Together with his great contemporaries – Saints
Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, Saint Gregory of Nyssa had a significant
influence on the Church life of his time. His sister, Saint Macrina, wrote
to him: "Thou art reknown both in the cities, and gatherings of people,
and throughout entire districts; Churches do send off and summon thee for help".
Saint Gregory has come down in history as one of the most obvious and active
Christian thinkers of the IV Century. Endowed with a profound philosophical
talent, he perceived philosophy but as a means for a deeper penetration into
the authentic meaning of Divine revelation.
Saint Gregory left behind him many works of dogmatic character, as well as
sermons and discourses.
St. Sava I, enlightener and first archbishop of Serbia (1235)
Commemorated on January 14/January 27
This best-loved Saint of the Serbian people was born in 1169,
the son of Stephen Nemanja, Grand Prince of Serbia. He was named
Rastko by his parents. At the age of fifteen he was appointed
governor of the province of Herzegovina, but worldly power were
of no interest to him, and he began to wish to give himself more
fully to God. He secretly left home and traveled to Mount Athos,
where he became a novice at the Monastery of St Panteleimon.
His father learned where he had gone and sent soldiers to bring
him back, but before the soldiers could claim him, he was tonsured
a monk with the name of Sabbas (Sava), after St Sabbas the Sanctified
(December 5).
In time, under the influence of his son, Stephen Nemanja abdicated
his kingship, and in 1196 he became a monk under the name of
Symeon, traveling to the Holy
Mountain to join his son. Symeon was quite old, and unable to endure all the
ascetic labors of long-time monks, so his son redoubled his own ascetical struggle,
telling his father, "I am your ascesis." The two monks together founded
the Chilander Monastery, which became the center of Serbian piety and culture.
Saint Symeon reposed in 1200, and his body soon began to exude a miracle-working
myrrh; thus he is commemorated as St Symeon the Myrrh-streaming (February 13).
Saint Sava retired to a hermit's life in a cell on the Holy Mountain, but was
compelled to return to the world: his two brothers were at war with one another,
causing much bloodshed in Serbia. The Saint returned home with his father's
holy relics, mediated between his brothers, and persuaded them to make peace
with one another over their father's tomb, restoring peace the Serbian land.
At the pleas of the people, St Sava remained in Serbia thereafter. He persuaded
the Emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople to grant autocephaly to the
Church in Serbia. Against his will, he was ordained first Archbishop of his
land in 1219. He labored tirelessly to establish the Orthodox Faith, for, though
his father had been a Christian, many of the people were still pagan. In old
age he resigned the episcopal throne and went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
While returning from his pilgrimage, he fell asleep in peace in 1236.
Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Holy and All-glorious
Apostle Peter
Commemorated on January 16/January 29
The Veneration of the Venerable Shackles of the Holy and All-Praiseworthy
Apostle Peter: On the orders of Herod Agrippa, in about the year
42 the Apostle Peter was thrown into prison for preaching about
Christ the Saviour. In prison he was held secure by two iron
chains. By night, on the eve of his trial, an Angel of the Lord
removed these chains from the Apostle Peter and miraculously
led him out from the prison (Acts 12: 1-11). Christians who learned
of the miracle took the chains and kept them as precious keepsakes.
Those afflicted with illness and approaching them with faith
received healing. The Chains of the holy Apostle Peter were kept
at Jerusalem until the time of Patriarch Juvenalios, who presented
them to Eudocia, spouse of the emperor Theodosius the Younger,
and she in turn transferred them from Jerusalem to Constantinople
in either the year 437 or 439. Eudocia sent one Chain to Rome
to her daughter Eudoxia, who built a church in the name of the
Apostle Peter and put within it the Chain. At Rome were also
other Chains, in which the Apostle Peter found himself before
his death under the emperor Nero.
On 16 January the Chains of the Apostle Peter are brought out for veneration
by the people.
St. Anthony the Great (356)
Commemorated on January 17/January 30
The Monk
Anthony, a very great ascetic, the founder of wilderness-monastery
life
and as such the father of monasticism, is entitled "the
Great" by Holy Church. He was born in Egypt in the village
of Coma, near the Thebaid wilderness, in the year 251. His parents
were pious Christians of illustrious lineage. From his youth
Anthony was always serious and given over to concentration. He
loved to visit church services and he hearkened to the Holy Scripture
with such deep attention, that he remembered what he heard all
his entire life. The commandments of the Lord guided him from
the time of his very youth. When Saint Anthony was about twenty
years old, he lost his parents, but in his care remained his
sister, a minor in age. Visiting the church services, the youth
was pierced through by a reverent feeling towards those Christians
who, as it relates in the Acts of the Apostles, sold off their
possessions and the proceeds thereof they applied in following
after the Apostles. He heard in church the Gospel passage of
Christ, spoken to the rich young man: "If thou wouldst be
perfect, sell what thou hast and give it to the poor; and thou
wilt have treasure in heaven; and come follow after Me" (Mt.
19: 21). Anthony understood this as spoken to him personally.
He sold off his property that remained to him after the death
of his parents, he distributed the money to the poor, he left
his sister in the care of pious virgins in a monastic setting,
he left his parental home, and having settled not far from his
village in a wretched hut, he began his ascetic life. He earned
his livelihood by working with his hands, and alms also for the
poor. Sometimes the holy youth also visited other ascetics living
in the surrounding areas, and from each he sought to receive
direction and benefit. And to a particular one of these ascetics
he turned for guidance in the spiritual life.
In this period of his life the Monk Anthony was subjected to
terrible temptations by the devil. The enemy of the race of man
troubled the young ascetic with
thoughts, and with doubts about his chosen path, with anguish over his sister,
and he attempted to incline Anthony towards fleshly sin. But the monk preserved
his firm faith, he incessantly made prayer and intensified his efforts. Anthony
prayed that the Lord would point out to him the path of salvation. And he was
granted a vision. The ascetic beheld a man, who by turns alternately finished
a prayer, and then began to work – this was an Angel, which the Lord
had sent to instruct His chosen one. The monk thereupon set up a strict schedule
for his life. He partook of food only once in the entire day, and sometimes
only once every second or third day; he spent all night at prayer, giving himself
over to a short sleep only on the third or fourth night after unbroken vigil.
But the devil would not desist with his tricks, and trying to scare the monk,
he appeared under the guise of monstrous phantoms. The saint however with steadfast
faith protected himself with the Life-Creating Cross. Finally the enemy appeared
to him in the guise of a frightful looking black lad, and hypocritically declaring
himself beaten, he reckoned to sway the saint into vanity and pride. But the
monk expelled the enemy with prayer.
For yet greater solitude, the saint re-settled farther away from the village,
in a graveyard. On designated days his friend brought him a scant bit of food.
And here the devils, pouncing upon the saint with the intent to kill him, inflicted
upon him terrible beatings. But the Lord would not allow the death of Anthony.
The friend of the saint, on schedule taking him his food, saw him as though
dead laying upon the ground, and he took him away back to the village. They
thought the saint was dead and began to prepare for his burial. But the monk
in the deep of night regained consciousness and besought his friend to take
him back to the graveyard. The staunchness of Saint Anthony was greater than
the wile of the enemy. Taking the form of ferocious beasts, the devils again
tried to force the saint to forsake the place chosen by him, but he again expelled
them by the power of the Life-Creating Cross. The Lord strengthened the power
of His saint: in the heat of the struggle with the dark powers the monk saw
coming down to him from the sky a luminous ray of light, and he cried out: "Where
hast Thou been, O Merciful Jesus?.. Why hast Thou not healed my wounds at the
very start?" The Lord replied: "Anthony! I was here, but did wait,
wanting to see thine valour; and now after this, since thou hast firmly withstood
the struggle, I shalt always aid thee and glorify thee throughout all the world".
After this vision the Monk Anthony was healed of his wounds and ready for renewed
efforts. He was then 35 years of age.
Having gained spiritual experience in the struggle with the devil, the Monk
Anthony pondered going into the deeps of the Thebaid wilderness, and in full
solitude there to serve the Lord by deed and by prayer. He besought the ascetic
elder (to whom he had turned at the beginning of his monastic journey) to go
off together with him into the wilderness, but the elder, while blessing him
in the then as yet unheard of exploit of being suchlike an hermit, decided
against accompanying him because of the infirmity of age. The Monk Anthony
went off into the wilderness alone. The devil tried to stop him, throwing in
front of the monk precious gems and stones, but the saint paid them no attention
and passed them on by. Having reached a certain hilly spot, the monk caught
sight of an abandoned enclosed structure and he settled within it, securing
the entrance with stones. His faithful friend brought him bread twice a year,
and water he had inside the enclosure. In complete silence the monk partook
of the food brought him. The Monk Anthony dwelt for 20 years in complete isolation
and incessant struggle with the devils, and he finally found tranquillity of
spirit and peace in his mind. When it became appropriate, the Lord revealed
to people about His great ascetic. The saint had to instruct many layfolk and
monastics. The people gathering at the enclosure of the monk removed the stones
sealing his entrance way, and they went to Saint Anthony and besought him to
take them under his guidance. Soon the heights on which Saint Anthony asceticised
was encircled by a whole belt of monastic communities, and the monk fondly
directed their inhabitants, teaching about the spiritual life to everyone who
came into the wilderness to be saved. He taught first of all the need to take
up spiritual efforts, to unremittingly strive to please the Lord, to have a
willing and unselfish attitude towards types of work shunned earlier. He urged
them not to be afraid of demonic assaults and to repel the enemy by the power
of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord.
In the year 311 the Church was beset by a trial – a fierce persecution
against Christians, set in motion by the emperor Maximian. Wanting to suffer
together with the holy martyrs, the Monk Anthony left the wilderness and arrived
in Alexandria. He openly rendered aid to the imprisoned martyrs, he was present
at the trial and interrogations, but the torturers would not even bother with
him! It pleased the Lord to preserve him for the benefit of Christians. With
the close of the persecution, the monk returned to the wilderness and continued
his exploits. The Lord bestowed upon His saint a gift of wonderworking: the
monk cast out devils and healed the sick by the power of his prayer. The multitude
of people coming to him disrupted his solitude, and the monk went off still
farther, into the so-called "interiour of the wilderness", and he
settled atop an high elevation. But the brethren of the wilderness monasteries
searched out the monk and besought him at least often to pay visits to their
communities.
Another time the Monk Anthony left the wilderness and arrived amidst the Christians
in Alexandria, to defend the Orthodox faith against the Manichaean and Arian
heresies. Knowing that the name of the Monk Anthony was venerated by all the
Church, the Arians circulated a lie about him – that he allegedly adhered
to their heretical teaching. But actually being present in Alexandria, the
Monk Anthony in front of everyone and in the presence of the bishop openly
denounced Arianism. During the time of his brief stay at Alexandria he converted
to Christ a great multitude of pagans. Pagan philosophers came to the monk,
wanting by their speculations to test his firm faith, but by his simple and
convincing words he reduced them to silence. The Equal-to-the-Apostles emperor
Constantine the Great (+ 337, Comm. 21 May) and his sons deeply esteemed the
Monk Anthony and besought him to visit them at the capital, but the monk did
not want to forsake his wilderness brethren. In reply to the letter, he urged
the emperor not to be overcome with pride by his lofty position, but rather
to remember, that even over him was the Impartial Judge – the Lord God.
The Monk Anthony spent 85 years of his life in the solitary wilderness. Shortly
before his death, the monk told the brethren, that soon he would be taken from
them. Time and again he instructed them to preserve the Orthodox faith in its
purity, to shun any association with heretics, and not to weaken in their monastic
efforts. "Strive the yet more to dwell ever in unity amongst ye, and most
of all with the Lord, and then with the saints, so that upon death they should
bring ye into eternity by their blood, as friends and acquaintances", – thus
were the death-bed words of the monk passed on in his Vita (Life). The monk
bid two of his disciples, who had been together with him the final 15 years
of his life, to bury him in the wilderness and not arrange any solemn burial
of his remains in Alexandria. Of his two monastic mantles, the monk left one
to Sainted Athanasias of Alexandria (Comm. 18 January), the other to Sainted
Serapion of Tmunta. The Monk Anthony died peacefully in the year 356, at age
105, and he was buried by his disciples at a treasured spot glorified by him
in the wilderness.
The Vita (Life) of the famed ascetic the Monk Anthony the Great was written
in detail by a father of the Church, Saint Athanasias of Alexandria. This work
of Saint Athanasias is the first memorial of Orthodox hagiography, and is considered
one of the finest of his writings; Saint John Chrysostom says, that this Vita
should be read by every Christian. "These narratives be significantly
small in comparison with the virtues of Anthony, – writes Saint Athanasias, – but
from them ye can conclude, what the man of God Anthony was like. From his youth
into his mature years observing an equal zeal for asceticism, not being seduced
by the avenues of filth, and not as regards infirmity of body altering his
garb, nor the any worse for it in suffering harm. His eyes were healthy and
unfailing and he saw well. Not one tooth fell out for him, and they only weakened
at the gums from the advanced years of age. He was healthy of hand and of foot
(...). And what they said about him everywhere, all being amazed at him, whereof
even those that did not see him loved him – this serves as evidence of
his virtue and love for God in soul".
Of the works of the Monk Anthony himself, there have come down to us: 1) his
Discourses, 20 in number, treating of the virtues, primarily monastic, 2) Seven
Letters to monasteries – about striving for moral perfection and regarding
the spiritual struggle, and 3) a Rule of life and consolation for monastics.
In the year 544 the relics of the Monk Anthony the great were transferred from
the wilderness to Alexandria, and later on with the conquest of Egypt by the
Saracens in the VII Century, they were transferred to Constantinople. The holy
relics were transferred from Constantinople in the X-XI Centuries to a diocese
outside Vienna, and in the XV Century – to Arles (in France), into the
church of Saint Julian.
Sainted Athanasias and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria
Commemorated on January 18/January 31
Sainted Athanasias and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria, have a conjoined feast
established to them in acknowledgement of the profound gratitude of Holy Church
for their incessant lengthy labour in affirmation of the dogmas of the Orthodox
faith and their zealous defense of such against heretical teachings.
St. Maximus of Serbia, metropolitan (1516) (Serbia)
Commemorated on January 18/January 31
Sainted Maxim (Maksim) the New, despoton of Serbia, was the son of king Stefan of Serbia (Comm. 10 December), and was Metropolitan of Ugro-Valakhia. He died on 18 January 1516.