Prophet Baruch (6th century BC), the disciple and faithful friend of the great prophet Jeremiah.
Saint Chariton the Confessor (350)
Saint Martyr Mark the Shepherd, Martyrs Alexander, Alphius and Zosimas, brothers, Nicon, Neon, Heliodorus, and 24 others, in Pisidia and Phrygia (4th century)
St. Eustochium (also Julia) of Rome, Abbess at Bethlehem (c. 370-419)
Venerable Auxentius the Alaman, ascetic and Wonderworker, leader of the “300 Allemagne Saints” of Cyprus (12th century)
Venerable Chariton of Syandema Monastery, Vologda (1509)
Saint Cyril and his wife Maria,the parents of Saint Sergius of Radonezh
St. Juliana Olshanskaya, Princess of Olshansk (16th cent.)
Uncovering of the relics of St. Neophytus the Recluse, of Cyprus (1214)
Synaxis of the Holy Fathers of Kiev whose relics lie in the Near Caves of St. Anthony
Commemorated on September 28
Verses
Prophet Baruch friend of Jeremiah,
You dance with the prophets of Christ in the heavens.
Prophet Baruch,
the disciple and faithful friend of the great prophet Jeremiah.
He was a disciple and faithful friend of the great prophet Jeremiah. He prophesied the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity, the destruction of Babylon, and the coming of the Son of God to earth. It is held that he was slain by the Jews in Egypt, as was the Prophet Jeremiah, in the seventh century before Christ.
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
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The Holy Prophet Baruch was an inseparable companion, disciple, friend and scribe of the great Prophet Jeremiah (May 1) and he was so beloved by Jeremiah that he called him his «breath» and «repose». Though divided in body, they were united as one soul in mutual love, for the one and only Holy Spirit united them and guided them. Baruch meaning “Blessed”. He wrote an entire scroll of his prophetic sayings and read them to the people in the Temple of Jerusalem. Together with his teacher, St Baruch grievously lamented the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (587 BC), and he taught and censured the Jews, and he suffered spite and vexation from them. He witnessed the stoning of the holy Prophet Jeremiah, and buried his body. Baruch fled with Jeremiah to Egypt, but later went to Babylon. The holy Prophet Baruch prophesied the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity, and the desolation of Babylon. He clearly prophesied the coming into the world of the Son of God, Who would “dwell with mankind.” His prophecy begins with the words, «This is our God, no other can be compared to Him. He has found out all the way of knowledge, and has given it to Jacob His servant, and to Israel His beloved. Afterward He showed Himself upon earth, and lived among men» (Bar. 3:35-37).
In the end he reposed in peace and delivered his soul into the hands of God. On the eve of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, his prophecy of the Incarnation is read among the Old Testament readings, though his book has been annexed to the book of the Prophet Jeremiah.
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Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
In guiding the dispensation of this world, and especially of His Holy Church, God often makes unexpected moves, and changes the evil destiny of His servants to the good. This occurred many times in the life of St. Chariton. Following cruel tortures, Chariton was thrown into prison and was promised certain death. Then, Emperor Aurelian died unexpectedly, and the new emperor freed the Christian captives. Thus, Chariton escaped death. Then, when he was traveling to Jerusalem, robbers seized him and took him to their cave. They left him there, and went off to rob and plunder, with the intention of killing him when they came back. In this cave there was a wine cask into which a poisonous snake had crawled, drunk of the wine, and vomited its venom into the cask. When the robbers returned, tired and thirsty from the heat, they drank the venomous wine and, one by one, fell dead. And thus, St. Chariton was saved from death by yet another unexpected event. The Lord heaped misfortunes upon His servant, in order that by these misfortunes He would temper and purify him as gold is tempered and purified by fire, and that He might bind him even more securely to Himself. He delivered him from death, because Chariton had yet to establish several monasteries where, by his ascetic example, he would direct many human souls on the path of salvation.
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
http://prologue.orthodox.cn/September28.htm
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Our times
St. Paisius the Athonite
The majority of people in our times rush around at high worldly speed. But inasmuch as they do not possess the fear of God, – and “the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord,” – they have no brakes, and at such a speed, and with no brakes, they invariably finish up the race in a deep hole. People are extremely upset by difficulties and are, to a great extent, being brainwashed by various influences. They have lost their guideposts and little by little have reached the stage where they no longer have control over themselves.
One can see tempests and great agitation in all the nations. I can now appreciate the torment which the prophets suffered. The greatest martyrs were the prophets! They were martyrs to a greater extent than all the known martyrs, despite the fact that not all of them died a martyric death. This is because martyrs suffered comparatively briefly, while the prophets witnessed the doing of evil and suffered constantly. They cried out and cried out, but the others continued to blow their own horns. And when, due to these others, God’s wrath came down on people, the prophets suffered together with all the rest. But at least in those times men’s minds were limited, and they simply left God to worship idols. Now, when people abandon God consciously, – this leads to the greatest idolatry and paganism.
We have not yet realized that the devil has hurled himself forth to destroy God’s creations. The devil is enraged because the world has begun experiencing concern over the loss of goodness. He is in a frenzy, because he knows that he has little time left to act. He is now behaving like a criminal, who, upon being caught, cries out: “I can’t save myself, they’ll catch me,” – and begins wrecking everything both right and left. The world is burning! Do you realize that? The devil has lit such a conflagration that even if all the firemen were to gather together, they could never extinguish this fire. In a spiritual fire nothing remains undamaged. The only thing left for us is to pray that God have mercy upon us.
The entire world is coming to a single end. Universal destruction. We cannot say: “A window or something like that is slightly broken in the house, let me fix it.” The entire house has fallen apart. The state of affairs has already spun out of control. Only God can do something from above.
http://www.holy-transfiguration.org/library_en/mod_mankind1.html
Apolytikion of Prophet Baruch in the Fourth Tone
Thou didst foretell the Lord’s divine Incarnation when thou didst cry out to the whole world, O Prophet: This is our God, there shall be none compared to Him; He was seen upon the earth, being born of a Virgin: He hath shone upon our souls the divine light of knowledge. And He doth grant salvation unto all who sing thy praise, O divinely-inspired Baruch.
Troparion of ST Chariton ― Tone 8
With the streams of thy tears thou didst irrigate the barren desert,/ and with sighs from the depths of thy soul thou didst render thy labors fruitful an hundredfold./ Thou wast a beacon for the whole world, radiating miracles.// O our father Chariton , entreat Christ God that our souls be saved.
ST Auxentius the Alaman, Apolytikion ― Tone 3
Komi of Karpasia rejoices having the coffin of your relics, all-renowned Father Auxentios. For you put to shame all those who did battle against you, and conquered the courage of the demons, and gladdened us the faithful who cry unto you: Entreat that we may given the great mercy.
Holy Fathers of the Near Caves of Kiev , Troparion — Tone 4
We bring to Thee in prayer, O Christ, great Anthony and the assembly of the God-bearing Fathers;/ they are a fiery Pillar and a brilliant sun shining from the Kievan Caves./ By their prayers grant grace to our monastery and great mercy to our souls.
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