Ask for repentance in your prayer and nothing else, St. Paisios of Mount Athos

Saint Stylianos of Paphlagonia The Protector of Children (7th century) 
Saint Alypius the Stylite of Adrianopolis (640)
Saint Nikon “Metanoeite,” the Preacher of Repentance (998)
Saint George the New Martyr of Chios (+1807)
Saint Akakios of Sinai who is mentioned in The Ladder
Dedication of the Churchs of the Greatmartyr George in the district of Cyparission in Constantinople and at the Golden Gates in Kiev 
Saint Innocent of Irkutsk (1731)
Saint Athanasius, “the Iron Staff” and Saint Theodosius of Cherepovets, disciples of Saint Sergius of Radonezh (1388)

Commemorated November 26

Verses:
Wherefore hath Lacedaemon (Sparta) a loss of demons? Nikon hath frightened them away with his wonders

The Venerable Nicon, the Preacher of Repentance
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovi

Nicon was born in Armenia. Awakened by the words of the Lord, Every one that hath forsaken … father or mother … shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life (Matthew 19:29), Nicon indeed forsook all for the sake of Christ, and went to a monastery, where he was tonsured a monk. When he was perfected in all virtues, he left the monastery and went to preach the Gospel among the people. He ceaselessly cried out, “Repent!” for which he was also called the “the Preacher of Repentance.” As a preacher, he visited all of Anatolia and the Peloponnese. He worked miracles by prayer in the name of Christ and peacefully went to his beloved Lord. He reposed in Sparta in the year 998.
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovi
http://livingorthodoxfaith.blogspot.gr/2010/04/prologue-november-26-december-9.html

***

St Nikon had a remarkable gift for preaching. When he spoke of virtue and spiritual matters, his listeners were filled with heartfelt compunction and love for God. His words produced such spiritual fruit in those who heard him that he was asked to travel through the eastern regions to preach. He visited Armenia, Crete, Euboea, Aegina, and the Peloponnesus, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ.

“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” This was the message of St John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2), and of Christ Himself (Matthew 4:17). This was also the message of St Nikon. Wherever he went, he would begin his sermons with “Repent,” hence he was called “Nikon Metanoeite,” or “Nikon, the Preacher of Repentance.”

At first, people paid little heed to his message. Then gradually he won their hearts through his preaching, his miracles, and his gentle, loving nature. He stressed the necessity for everyone to repent, warning that those who utter a few sighs and groans and think that they have achieved true repentance have deluded themselves. St Nikon told the people that true sorrow for one’s sins is cultivated by prayer, self-denial, almsgiving, ascetical efforts, and by confession to one’s spiritual Father.

After sowing the seeds of piety, St Nikon began to see them bear fruit. People started to change their lives, but he urged them to strengthen their souls in virtue and good works so that they would not be overwhelmed by the cares of this world.

St. Paisios of Mount Athos

-Elder, how can someone be helped to not fall into the same fault?

-If one truly feels pain for his fault, he will not do it again. There must be an inner contrition with sincere repentance in order for a person to be corrected. This is why Saint Mark the Ascetic says, If one does not feel contrition commensurate to his fault, he will easily fall into the same fault again. In other words, if the mistake is minor,the repentance can also be less severe, but if the mistake is major, then more severe repentance will be required. When people do not grasp the severity of their sins and do not experience grief commensurate to their fault, then they can easily fall into the same or even greater fault.

-How can we know if our grief is not commensurate to our fault?

-The proof is if you fall again into the same fault. In addition, when you examine yourselves, don’t just diagnose your situation. You are constantly carrying out bacterial tests; upon discovering a virus, you assess it and say, “I must kill it”but you don’t embark on a healing process. Fine, you have established that you have some disease. At once, you must find a way to treat it. What’s the point of constantly analysing and diagnosing if you don’t try to correct yourselves?
You say to yourselves, “I have this ailment, or that ailment, “but you do nothing to cure yourself and you remain idle, lamenting your condition. You only waste your energy and remain useless. You render your mind and your heart useless.
You get sick from grief over it but do nothing to treat it. Later, when you get well, you start over again: “Why did i get sick then, and how did i get sick?” Of course, you will carefully observe yourselves; you won’t allow your faults to go undetected, but your grief should be contained, only go to a certain point! I’m not suggesting indifference, but you should not go to the other extreme!
You did something that wasn’t right? Did you think about it? Did you see it? Did you recognise it? Did you confess it? Then move on. Don’t get stuck there. Just keep it in mind so you’ll be careful next time you’re faced with a similar situation. Lamenting over our faults is pointless if we don’t also try to correct them. It’s like grieving constantly over someone who’s sick without offering him any help.

-Elder, are we not to grieve even when we rightly suffer because of
our mistake?

-No, you should grieve, but the grief must be commensurate to your fault. If you do not suffer, you will remain happy-go-lucky and careless and will again fall into the same mistake; you will not correct yourself. But if you move from the sadness of repentance into despair, then it means that you have grieved more than you should have. In this case, one needs to give himself a little encouragement and face his faults with a little “positive indifference”.
Taken from Elder Paisios of Mount Athos, Spiritual Counsels Vol 3″Spiritual Struggle”

***

“Ask for repentance in your prayer and nothing else, neither for divine lights, nor miracles, nor prophecies, nor spiritual gifts—nothing but repentance. Repentance will bring you humility, humility will bring you the Grace of God, and God will have in His Grace everything you need for your salvation, or anything you might need to help another soul.”

St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai loved children. And that love remained in my heart forever. Above all he loved orphaned children and took special care of them.
iconandlight.wordpress.com/2019/11/25/st-john-maximovitch-of-shanghai-loved-children-and-that-love-remained-in-my-heart-forever-above-all-he-loved-orphaned-children-and-took-special-care-of-them/

Apolytikion Saint Stylianus of Paphlagonia in the Third Tone

A living monument of self restraint, an immovable pillar of the Church you were shown to be, blessed Stylianos, for you were dedicated to God from your youth, and were seen as a dwelling place of the Spirit. Holy Father, entreat Christ our God, to grant us His great mercy.

Troparion of St Nikon tone 3

Lacedaemon doth rejoice with gladness in the godly shrine of thy blest relics, which doth make streams of healings to overflowand doth preserve from affliction and sore distress all them that hasten, O Father, to thee with faith. Righteous Nicon/Nikon ,intercede with Christ God in our behalf that His great mercy may be granted unto us.

Troparion of St. Nikon Tone 3

Sparta rejoices in holding the shrine of thy relics,/ a source of healing for those who run to thee./ Holy Nikon, intercede with Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.

Kontakion of St. Nikon Tone 6

Thou didst despise the world’s delights,/ thou didst show us the path of repentance, emulating the Angelic life./ O Nikon, we praise thee and celebrate thy memory;/ thou art a fountain of healing.

Saint Great-martyr Mercurius of Caesarea, – Call Mercurius to me, that he go and put to death the enemy, Julian, of my Son!

Saint Catherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria and those who believed in Christ through her and were martyred for His sake: the holy 150 Rhetoricians; the holy Empress, wife of the Emperor Maxentius; and Saint Porphyrius the Commander with 200 Soldiers.
Saint Great Martyr Mercurius of Caesarea, in Cappadocia.
Saint Peter the Hesychast.
Saints 670 Martyrs who were beheaded.
Icon of the Theotokos ‘Daugazpils, in Latvia

Commemorated on November 25

Saint Mercurius came from Cappadocia, and was the son of Gordian, a Scythian. A young man, and a soldier of high rank, he refused to offer sacrifice to the idols, and after torments was beheaded during the reign of Valerian (253–260).

The Vision of St. Basil the Great, and Julian the Apostate

Saint Basil the Great (January 1) once gathered the Christians and told them all to fast for three days. Then they all ascended the mountain of Caesarea named Didymos, because it had two peaks.

On that mountain was a Church of the Most-Holy Theotokos, where all the Christians, when they reached it, began with contrite heart to entreat the merciful Christ and His Most-Pure Mother, not to permit the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) to return from his war against the Persians and resume his oppression of Christians.

 Then as they were continuing in prayer, St. Basil saw a multitude of heavenly armies circle the mountain and among them was a woman sitting on a throne with much glory, who said to the Angels that were around:
“Call Mercurius to me, that he go and put to death the enemy, Julian, of my Son!”
Then the Archbishop of Caesarea saw that the Martyr Mercurius came armed with his weapon, and having received the command from that woman who was the Most-Holy Theotokos, he disappeared immediately!

[At this very moment Julian the Apostate, on his Persian campaign, was wounded by the spear of an unknown soldier, who immediately disappeared. The mortally wounded Julian, as he lay dying, cried out, “Thou hast conquered, O Galilean!” (http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=103383)%5D

The Saint awoke from the vision right away and together with some Clerics he descended immediately to the city of Caesarea, where the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Mercurius was located, in which was found his relic and his weapons, as St. Mercurius was martyred there a hundred years before. Archbishop Basil entered this Church and not seeing the relic or the weapons, he asked the protector of the relics of the Church what occurred. He of course did not know anything. Then the Great Basil understood that it was a true vision and that the most impious Julian would be killed that night.

Immediately, the Holy Metropolitan again ascended the mountain and told the Christians:

“Rejoice and be glad today, my bretheren. Our prayer was heard, because the infamous king suffers the appropriate punishment. Therefore giving thanks to God, let’s return to the city…”

The Most Holy Theotokos, through the prayers of Saint Basil, had sent Saint Mercurius to defend the Christians from the apostate Julian. May we also be preserved from God’s foes, overcoming them through the prayers and assistance of Saint Mercurius.

Holy Great Martyr Catherine.

Saint Catherine, who was from Alexandria, was the daughter of Constas (or Cestus). She was an exceedingly beautiful maiden, most chaste, and illustrious in wealth, lineage, and learning. By her steadfast understanding, she utterly vanquished the passionate and unbridled soul of Maximinus, the tyrant of Alexandria; and by her eloquence, she stopped the mouths of the so-called philosophers who had been gathered to dispute with her. She was crowned with the crown of martyrdom in the year 305. Her holy relics were taken by Angels to the holy mountain of Sinai, where they were discovered many years later; the famous monastery of Saint Catherine was originally dedicated to the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord and the Burning Bush, but later was dedicated to Saint Catherine.

According to the ancient usage, Saints Catherine and Mercurius were celebrated on the 24th of this month, whereas the holy Hieromartyrs Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria were celebrated on the 25th. The dates of the feasts of these Saints were interchanged at the request of the Church and Monastery of Mount Sinai, so that the festival of Saint Catherine, their patron, might be celebrated more festively together with the Apodosis of the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos. The Slavic Churches, however, commemorate these Saints on their original dates. (Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA)

”I am Mercurius of the Two Sabers… You should correct this mistake and then you will remain unharmed. ” a miracle of the Saint Great Martyr Mercurius in Cairo with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2018/11/25/i-am-mercurius-of-the-two-sabers-you-should-correct-this-mistake-and-then-you-will-remain-unharmed-a-miracle-of-the-saint-great-martyr-mercurius-in-cairo-with-egyptian-president-hos/

Troparion of the Great Martyr Catherine, in Tone IV:

Thy ewe-lamb Catherine crieth out to Thee with a loud voice, O Jesus: I love Thee, O my Bridegroom, and, seeking Thee, I pass through many struggles; I am crucified and buried with Thee in Thy baptism, and suffer for Thy sake, that I might reign with Thee; I die for Thee, that I might live with Thee. As an unblemished sacrifice accept me, who sacrifice myself with love for Thee. By her prayers save Thou our souls, in that Thou art merciful.

Apolytikion of Great Martyr Mercurius
Fourth Tone

Thy martyr Mercurius, O Lord, in his suffering received an imperishable crown from Thee, our God. For, possessed of Thy might, he cast down the tormentors and set at naught the feeble audacity of the demons. By his prayers do Thou save our souls.

of the feast, in Tone IV:

Today is the prelude of God’s good will and the proclamation of the salvation of man. The Virgin hath manifestly appeared in the Temple of God and proclaimeth Christ unto all to her let us cry aloud: Rejoice, O thou fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation!

stichera to the great martyr Catherine, Tone I:
Spec. Mel.: “Joy of the ranks of heaven …”:

Rejoice, most glorious and honored martyr Catherine, * for the mount of Sinai, * whereon Moses beheld the bush which burned, yet was not consumed, * doth now keep thy God-pleasing body * which Christ transferred thither, * even until the time of His Second Coming.

stichera to the great martyr Mercurius, Tone IV:
Spec. Mel.: “As valiant among the martyrs …”:

An angel, sent to thee from heaven at the behest of the divine Spirit, healed thy wounds. Yet, after thy healing, O right glorious one, thou didst endure to be treacherously pierced with heated goads, and wast suspended and stretched out, bound to a heavy stone, and thy blood was shed everywhere, O martyr.

Glory …, in Tone II:

Having acquired an immaterial life, and having attained unto the godless tribunal, thou didst stand, wearing the radiance of God like flowers, arrayed in divine might, O victorious and honored Catherine, and thou didst mock the tyrant’s command and didst put an end to the audacious discourse of the rhetors, O much-suffering one.

Mother of God, I offer him to you, from now on he’s your child. Take him under your care!”Fr. Rafail Noica recounts a story of Fr. Sophrony from Mount Athos

Fr. Rafail Noica:

Father Sophrony Sakharov met a certain monk on Mount Athos, a monk with “profound prayer” as Fr. Sophrony used to say.
He was an old man, of russian origin, from the countryside, a peasant, and he told Fr. Sophrony:
As an infant, he grew up in a very poor family and as a child he was the youngest child in the family, and was sick most of the time.
His father died, and the family was even more affected now that the father was missing, the older brother now had to take responsibility and take the role of the father in the family.

The child wanted to become a monk, but his brother told him: “Brother, stay with us, they can’t receive you there, at the monastery, there you will have to work… you are sickly and out of health… What can you do there? Stay here with us, in our family, you are often sick… We will take care of you.”

But they were so poor, and at some point they couldn’t take care of him anymore. His mother felt overwhelmed, and in her despair, takes the child in her arms and goes to the church and prays holding the child in her arms before the icon of the Mother of God. And she says: “Mother of God, you see that I can’t take care of him anymore… I have no strength, no means, I offer him to you, from now on he’s your child. Take him under your care!”

But I want to quickly add that she didn’t abandon him there. She brought him back home… with this prayer… “Mother of God, take him under your care!”

That very night, the child has a dream, and he sees a woman which shines in light and glory, he immediately notices that she is an empress. Yet, he knows that she is his mother as well, The empress offers him a small piece of something, wrapped in a neckerchief. And she tells him: “Take these to the Emperor.” The boy took the… the neckerchief, and he entered a very big and long hall where at the end, he sees the Emperor sitting on the throne of glory, surrounded by His servants and soldiers. When this child of a peasant sees himself in that royal hall, he becomes scared. He makes a few steps falls flat on his face, because of fear. The Emperor tells someone: “Raise him up and see what’s in his hands and bring it here, see what’s inside.” The servant went, untied the neckerchief and said: “Two broken hearts…” And then, the Emperor rose up and said: “Therefore, you are now my son!” And then the child wakes up.

And from that day forward the child was never sick again. He lived in good health, he grew up, and became a monk of profound prayer at Mount Athos.
And I repeat, Fr. Sophrony [Sakharov] met him.
This is no melodrama, this is not a child’s tale, even if it sounds much more beautiful than all our popular tales,
This is a truth!
Source: Conference “Pentru ce ne pregateste Filocalia”, Bucharest, November 19, 2002

 

I was crucified for sinners and for their salvation; For this reason, then, I neither turn away nor reject anyone, even if he should fall many times a day and many times return to Me; by Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium

Afterfeast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple
Saint Amphilochius of Iconium, first cousin to St Gregory the Theologian and a close friend of St Basil the Great (394–403).
St. Gregory, bishop of Agrigentum Sicily (680).
St. Sisinius the confessor, bishop of Cyzicus (ca. 325).
Venerable Ischyrion, bishop in Egypt and hermit of Scete.(4rd century)
St. Helenus of Tarsus, bishop
Virgin-martyr Lucretia, in Mérida in the west of Spain (306)
Saint Metrophanes (in schema Macarius), Bishop of Voronezh (1703)
New Hieromartyr Eleazar Spyridonov of Eupatoria, Priest, first rector of the Greek Church of St. Elijah (Yevpatoria) in Crimea (1937)
New Hieomartyr Archimandrite Gregory (Peradze) of Georgia, who suffered in Auschwitz, Poland (1942)

Commemorated on November 23

Abba Ischyrion of Scete

The Holy Fathers were making predictions about the last generation. They said, “What have we ourselves done?” One of them, the great Abba Ischyrion replied, “We ourselves have fulfilled the commandments of God.” The others replied, “And those who come after us, what will they do?” He said, “They will struggle to achieve half our works.” They said, “And those who come after them, what will happen?” He said, “The men of that generation will not accomplish any works at all and temptation will come upon them; and those who will be approved in that day will be greater than either us or our fathers.”
The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward.

***

Saint Nikolai Velimirovič

God permits misfortune to befall the righteous, that He might glorify them more greatly. The overcoming of misfortune reveals both the glory of God and the glory of the righteous. St. Gregory of Agrigentum was, in all things, righteous and pleasing to God. But God permitted misfortune to befall him, similar to that misfortune that once overtook St. Athanasius and St. Macarius. Two priests, Sabinus and Crescens, for whom Gregory had done much good, could not at all tolerate Gregory’s virtuousness. For such is the nature of vice, that it cannot tolerate virtue. Consequently, Sabinus and Crescens found a notorious prostitute and bribed her to malign Gregory by saying that he had had immoral relations with her. So it was that when Gregory was in church, the woman crept into his bedroom, and just as Gregory came out of church with the people, she emerged from his room. The two priests began to revile Gregory as a libertine. However, Gregory was composed and prepared for every suffering. They confined him in prison and then transferred him to Rome. The pope believed the slanderers and kept Gregory in prison for two and a half years, without a trial or a verdict. A council was then convened to try Gregory’s case, but God judged before man could judge. The woman went insane and was brought mad before the council. She was unable to answer any questions. Gregory, the miracle-worker, prayed to God for her and she was healed, for the evil spirit came out of her. Then, through her tears, she confessed that she had been bribed to malign the man of God, and that immediately after she had committed the slander, the evil spirit had entered her and held her in its power. Sabinus and Crescens, along with the other maligners-more than a hundred in number-found their faces suddenly turned as black as coal, and they were punished with exile. St. Gregory was returned to his diocese and was received with great exultation by his people.
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
http://livingorthodoxfaith.blogspot.com/2010/04/prologue-november-23-december-6.html

***

Never lose hope in your Salvation
by Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium

A certain brother, overcome by the passion of wantonness, sinned every day. However, each time, with tears and prayers, he would fall before the Master and Lord and receive forgiveness from Him. And as soon as he had repented, the next day, being misled again by shameful habit, he would fall to sin.

Afterwards, having sinned, he would go to the Church, where he would prostrate himself before the honourable and revered Icon of our Lord Jesus Christ and tearfully confess to Jesus: “Lord, have mercy upon me and take away from me this fearful temptation, for it troubles me fiercely and wounds me with the bitter taste of the pleasures. I, my Master, cleanse my person once more, that I may gaze upon Thine Icon and see Thy holy form and the sight of Thy face, brighter than the sun, that my heart might be sweetened and thankful.”

And though his lips had just whispered these words, no sooner would he leave the Church than he would fall once again to sin.

Despite this, however, he did not despair of his salvation, but, returning from his sinful deed, would cry out in the Church the same words to God – to the Lord, who loves mankind – adding the following:     “My Lord, I swear to Thee on my word that I shall no longer commit this sin. Only forgive me, Good and Most Merciful Lord, whatever sins I have committed, from the beginning to this moment.”

No sooner would he utter these awe-inspiring words, than he would find himself the captive of this evil sin. Let no one cease to marvel at the sweet love of God towards mankind and at His boundless goodness, with which He each day tolerated the uncorrected and evil transgression and ingratitude of the brother. Indeed, God, because of the greatness of His mercy, persistently accepted the repentance of that sinful brother and his inevitable return. For this happened not for one or two or three years, but for more than ten years.

Do you see, my brother, the measureless forbearance and boundless love of the Master? How He continually endures, showing to us kindness, tolerating our terrible transgressions and sins? And what evokes astonishment and wonderment with regard to the rich mercies of God is that He did not become wrathful with the brother in question, though the brother, agreeing not to fall to sin again, continually broke his word.

At any rate, one day when all that we have described again occurred, the brother, having fallen to sin, rushed to the Church, lamenting, groaning, and crying with anguish, to invoke the mercy of God, that He might have compassion on him and take him from the sin of immorality.

***

No sooner had he called on God, the Lover of man, than the Devil, that evil of old and destroyer of souls, seeing that he could gain nothing, since whatever he accomplished by sin, the brother expunged by his repentance, became infuriated and appeared visibly before the brother. Facing the Icon of Christ, the Devil said to our compassionate Saviour: “What will become of the two of us, Jesus Christ? Your sympathy for this sinner defeats me and takes the ground I have gained, since You keep accepting this dissolute man and prodigal, who daily mocks You and scorns Your authority. Indeed, why is it that You do not burn him up, but rather, tolerate and put up with him? …Is it because one day You intend to condemn all of the adulterers and the dissolute, and You will destroy all sinners?

“Actually, You are not a just Judge. But by him Your power is sometimes applied leniently and overlooks things. So, while I was cast from the heavens down to the abyss for a little breach of pride, to this fellow here, even though an immoral man and a prodigal, You calmly show Your sympathy, just because he throws himself down in front of Your Icon.

“In what way can You be called a just Judge, then? But, as I see it, You receive individual people with great kindness, but ignore justice in general.”

The Devil said all of this, poisoned with great bitterness, whilst there poured forth from his nostrils a black flame.

Having said these things, he fell silent. A voice was heard in response, coming forth from the Divine sanctuary, saying the following:

“O all-cunning and ruinous dragon, are you yet not satisfied with your evil and destructive desire to gobble up the world? Now you have even the nerve to try to do away with this man, who has come with contrition to entreat the mercy of My compassion – to devour him, too? Can you offer up enough sins that, by them, you can tilt the balance of justice against the precious blood which I shed on the Cross for this man? Behold My murder and death, which I endured for the forgiveness of his sins.

“You, when he turns again to sin, do not turn him away, but receive him with joy, neither chastising him nor preventing him from committing sin, out of the hope that you might win him over. Yet, I, Who am merciful and love mankind, Who counselled My laudable Apostle Peter, to forgive sins seven times seventy (Matt. 18:22), do I not show him mercy and compassion? Indeed – simply because he flees to Me – I will not turn him away until I have won him over. Furthermore, I was crucified for sinners and for their salvation; My immaculate hands were nailed to the Cross, that those who so wish might take refuge in Me and be saved. For this reason, then, I neither turn away nor reject anyone, even if he should fall many times a day and many times return to Me; such a person will not leave My Temple saddened, for I came not to call the righteous, but to call sinners to repent.”

During the time that this voice was heard, the Devil was fixed in his place, trembling and unable to run away. The voice then again began to say: “We have heard from all that you say, O Seducer, that I am not just; to the contrary, I am just beyond all. In whatever moral state I find a person, in that state I judge him. Look at this man, who a few moments ago repented, having returned from sin and having fallen at My feet with a sincere resolution to abandon sin, and thereby having conquered you.

“Therefore, I will accept him immediately and save his soul, since he did not lose hope in his hard toil for salvation.

“Look how much he merits by his repentance before Me, for which he is honoured. As for you, let your hatred be shred to pieces and you disgraced.”     While this was being said, the repentant brother had thrown himself before the Icon of the Saviour. With his face to the ground and lamenting, he surrendered his spirit to the Lord. At the same time that the repentant brother departed to the Lord, a great tempest fell upon Satan, like a fire from Heaven, and devoured him. From this incident, my brothers, let us learn of the limitless compassion of God and of His love of man – what a good Master we have! – that we might never again be disheartened by our sins, but rather look after our salvation with zeal.

from the Evergetinos
http://focusunsw.blogspot.gr/search?updated-max=2016-04-22T10:14:00%2B10:00&max-results=8

Troparion of the Feast:

Today is the prelude of God’s good will and the proclamation of the
salvation of man. The Virgin hath manifestly appeared in the Temple of God
and proclaimeth Christ unto all. To her let us cry aloud: Rejoice, O thou
fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation!

Apolytikion of Gregory, Bp. of Agrigentum
First Tone

O God of our Fathers, ever dealing with us according to Thy gentleness: take not Thy mercy from us, but by their entreaties guide our life in peace.

Kontakion of Gregory, Bp. of Agrigentum
Fourth Tone

With the Holy Spirit’s rays, which shine a great light, doth the Church illuminate the way of them that celebrate thy joyous falling asleep today, O righteous Father, supremely blest Gregory.

St. Amphilochius, in Tone IV:
Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast given a sign …”:

Having inherited a mind with free will * and an intellect with absolute power over the passions, * O most blessed father, * thou didst impart intelligent mastery to thy higher part, * that, weighed with a scale most true, * it might go higher. * Wherefore, thou art admitted to divine vision * and the knowledge of God, * O divinely inspired hierarch.

ODE VI, Canon of St. Gregory
Irmos: As Thou didst deliver the prophet from the uttermost depths of the abyss, O Christ God, deliver me also from my sins, in that Thou lovest mankind, and guide Thou my life, I pray.

Following in the steps of the Master with a blameless life, O glorious one, unjustly oppressed and slandered, thou didst remain impervious to thine ill treatment.

Seizing thee like savage beasts, as thou wert an innocent lamb, O father, those who lived together in wickedness condemned thee to prison; but thou wast preserved by divine grace.

ODE VII, Canon of St. Gregory
Irmos: O God of our fathers, Who saved the children from the fire by the Angel and transformed the thundering furnace into dew: Blessed art Thou!

Taking heed of thy patience, O father, the Master sacredly adorned thee with yet greater miracles, and thou drivest away the gloom of infirmities.

ODE VIII, Canon of St. Gregory
Irmos: O Thou Who coverest thy chambers with waters, Who settest a
bound of sand for the sea and sustainest all things: Thee doth the sun
hymn, Thee doth the moon glorify, and to Thee doth all creation offer
hymnody, as to the Creator of all, forever.

The maiden who slandered thee, a righteous man, because of the wickedness
of all-iniquitous men, is freed from the dreadful wounding of the demons by
thy supplication, O blessed one, and in the midst of the council God, the Judge
of the contest, glorified thee for all ages.

Those who through wickedness taught against thee are filled with gloomy
darkness, O father Gregory, and thy radiant life shined forth before the fathers,
in whose presence thou didst work a miracle, holding a burning coal in thy
hand.

Christ is always in me. St. Elder Iakovos Tsalikis

Holy Elder Iakovos Tsalikis of Evia reposed in the Lord on November 21 on the Feast of Hesychasm in the Entrance of the Theotokos

Commemorated on November 22

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

A Saint of our days
-Elder Iakovos (Tsalikis)

The blessed father Iakovos (Tsalikis) born on November 5 in 1920 Livisi in Asia Minor.
His childhood years were very difficult, as this area is notoriously dominated by the Turks. When he was two years all Livisianoi ordered to leave the area. Approximately 2000 women, children and old men (since all men were led prisoners to forced-together and the father of the late James, Stavros) brought the sad procession. Frightened eyes, legs stagger, dark heart without hope. The little Jacob was holding in her arms the mother. His brothers, George and Tasoula, was only four years and forty days. Without the slightest financial supplies, since the few things they could get their seized the Turks began a harrowing journey that lasted a week or more. Finally arrived in Itea. Head of the family was now the grandmother of James, Mama Despina. Woman with fiery faith, unfailing patience and capacity. Since it took the shining example and taught to love God and people James. Finally in 1925 carried the Livisianous refugees at a site in northern Evia, in the village Farakla.

At 1924,the tormented family of Elder, finally transferred to North Evia, in the village ”Farakla”.

Our Elder, said that in the house, three things were dominated:

Love, fasting and charity. Those 3 things was a basic status in the family. Love was diffuse the house. As for charity, no one passed by the house, that does not take care of his mother-grandma Theodora-as we call her.When even some girls were in marriageable age, she helps as long as possible. Charity was always basic in the whole situation,and it is a fact that most of times was secret-nobody knew. This is why the Elder gave emphasis to those 3 things-love, fasting and charity…

Very importance to the spiritual development of the offspring,has the mental state,and,generally the way of living of their ancestors.

”The root is very important” often the Elder said. He was fortunate to feel this root as his first and most important educator,in the life of faith and piety, in the face of his mother, Theodora-that she was embellished with virtues of charity, of continence, of fasting of hardworking, and tidiness.

***

St. Elder Iakovos Tsalikis said: People are blind and don’t see what takes place in church during the Divine Liturgy.Once I was serving and I couldn’t make the Great Entrance because of what I saw. I suddenly felt someone pushing me by my shoulder and guiding me toward the holy prothesis.
I thought it was the chanter, and said to myself: “The blessed one, such irreverence? He entered through the Beautiful Gate and is pushing me?”
I turned around and saw a huge wing that the archangel had laid on my shoulder, and that he was guiding me to make the Great Entrance.
What amazing things take place in the altar during the Divine Liturgy!

“Today that you have communed,” he said to one of his spiritual children, “do you see how you feel? This is how I always feel. Christ is always in me.”

***

Giorgios Ioannidis, a physical therapist from the city of Volos, told, among other things, this story:
“Leaving the Monastery of St. David, where I had been on pilgrimage with my family in September 1997, when I was at the gate I felt a strong desire to go and venerate Elder Iakovos’ grave again. I felt it, like someone who realizes he forgot something important and wants to go back to get it.
“I went back with my son, and about a yard away from the elder’s grave I saw a prayer rope lying on the ground. I picked it up and held it up so whichever of the pilgrims lost it would see it, so I could return it to him.
“But then I heard a voice from behind me saying, ‘What are you looking for? The prayer rope is for you.’
“I turned around, and a few feet away I saw the living Elder Iakovos, smiling at me. I saw him clear as day. I noticed his moist eyes, the lines on his face, and his beard.
“I realized something extraordinary, and it stunned me. The appearance in front of me of the living Elder Iakovos, in the literal sense, was decisive for me, imprinting certainly in the Divine presence.”

***

A Canticle From the Soul of the Theotokos
of St. Nikolai Velimirovich

“My soul doth magnify the Lord” (Luke 1:46).

Brethren, we have in total only a few words spoken by the Most-holy Theotokos recorded in the Gospels. All of her words pertain to the magnification of God. She was silent before men but her soul conversed unceasingly with God. Every day and every hour, she found a new reason and incentive to magnify God. If only we were able to know and to record all her magnifications of God throughout her whole life, oh, how many books would it take! But, even by this one magnification, which she spoke before her kinswoman Elizabeth, the mother of the great Prophet and Forerunner John, every Christian can evaluate what a fragrant and God-pleasing flower was her most holy soul.

This is but one wonderful canticle of the soul of the Theotokos, which has come down to us through the Gospel. However, such canticles were without number in the course of the life of the Most-blessed One. Even before she heard the Gospel from the lips of her Son, she knew how to speak with God and to glorify Him in accordance with the teaching of the Gospel. This knowledge came to her from the Holy Spirit of God, whose grace constantly poured into her like clear water into a pure vessel. Her soul magnified God with canticles throughout her whole life, and therefore God magnified her above the Cherubim and the Seraphim. Likewise, small and sinful as we are, the same Lord will magnify in His Kingdom us who magnify her, if we exert ourselves to fill this brief life with the magnification of God in our deeds, words, thoughts and prayers.

O Most-holy, Most-pure and Most-blessed Theotokos, cover us with the wings of thy prayers. To thee and thy Son and our Lord be glory and praise forever. Amen.

***

Blessed St. Fr. Iakovos of Evia pray to God for us! Pray that we labor in the fast with joy, and let God’s light illumine our hearts. Pray that our days are filled with humility, and that we learn to love others in charity, just as God loves us. Pray that we can learn to live out our Christian vocation in all times and places, and in all circumstances.

Saint Iakovos (Tsalikis) of Evia and the multiplication of the offering bread and the pasta
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2018/07/22/saint-iakovos-tsalikis-of-evia-and-the-multiplication-of-the-offering-bread-and-the-pasta/

Fasting is a commandment of God, and our Christ fasted. Saint Iakovos (Jacob, James) Tsalikis of Evia
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/21768/

Apolytikion Entrance of the Theotokos in the Fourth Tone

Today is the prelude of God’s pleasure and the proclamation of man’s salvation. The Virgin is clearly made manifest in the temple of God and foretells Christ to all. Let us also cry out to her with mighty voice, “Hail, fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation.”

Apolytikion St. Iakovos of Evia in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

In thee the image was preserved with exactness, O Father; for taking up thy cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to overlook the flesh, for it passeth away, but to attend to the soul since it is immortal. Wherefore, O righteous Iakovus, thy spirit rejoiceth with the Angels.

Building our Own House Churches: On the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. St. Luke Archbishop of Simferopol

Entrance of the Theotokos into the Holy of Holies
Feast of the Hesychastic monasticism

Commemorated on November 21

Magnify, O my soul, her who hath been led into the temple of the
Lord and been blessed by the hands of the priest.

In his homily for the Feast of Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple, St. Gregory Palamas calls Christian:

Today the Ever-Virgin Mary, like a Treasure of God, is stored in the Holy of Holies, so that in due time, (as it later came to pass) She would serve for the enrichment of, and an ornament for, all the world. Therefore, Christ God also glorifies His Mother, both before birth, and also after birth.

Now, brethren, let us remove ourselves from earthly to celestial things. Let us change our path from the flesh to the spirit. Let us change our desire from temporal things to those that endure. Let us scorn fleshly delights, which serve as allurements for the soul and soon pass away. Let us desire spiritual gifts, which remain undiminished. Let us turn our reason and our attention from earthly concerns and raise them to the inaccessible places of Heaven, to the Holy of Holies, where the Mother of God now resides.

***

Building our Own House Churches: On the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple
St. Luke Archbishop of Simferopol

The life of the All-Holy, All-Pure, and All-Blessed Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, who was the All-Pure Temple of the Savior, who was higher than all the Cherubim and Seraphim, could not have begun as does the life of an ordinary person: it needed to have been marked by a glorious beginning to her life. And the Lord God placed into the hearts of her holy parents, Joachim and Anna, the presentiment that their All-Pure Child, their only daughter, was being prepared by God for an extraordinary path, a path enormously loftier than people’s ordinary paths. And guided by this presentiment, they dedicated the All-Holy Virgin Mary to God even before her nativity: they made a vow to God that she would serve Him.

But how? In what form could she serve God?

You know that the ministers of God were chosen by command of God Himself only from the tribe of Levi and, of course, they were all men; women could not be ministers of God.

Nonetheless, the All-Holy Theotokos was designated by God Himself for the very loftiest form of ministry to Him.

When the little Mary grew to the age of three, then her parents, the holy and blessed Joachim and Anna, decided to bring her to the Temple in Jerusalem, in order to raise her under the shadow of this Temple.

They gave a vow, and it was necessary to fulfill it. And they led her, accompanied by a choir of young girls carrying burning candles, to Jerusalem, to the Lord’s Temple. And in an astonishing manner, when they approached the Temple, the three-year old babe Mary escaped from the hands of those holding her fast and quickly, quickly ran up the all the high steps to the Temple.

The great high priest Zacharias took her into his arms and performed something extraordinary, something that had never before been done: he not only led her into God’s Temple, but led her into the Holy of Holies, where there once had stood the Ark of the Covenant and into which only the high priest, and no one else, had the right to enter once a year. The blessed Zacharias led the babe Mary into the Holy of Holies and gave her permission, when she wanted to, even if every day, to enter here to pray.Thus was the childhood of her, who would become the All-Pure Temple of the Savior, observed. Let us leave her, the Holiest of the Holy, to pray in the Lord’s Temple… Let us turn our thoughts to our own children.

All of you, fathers and mothers, have heard the astounding question of the Apostle Paul: “Know ye not that ye are the temples of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). Do you not know that you and your children are intended to serve God in spirit and truth, in works of love and righteousness?

If so, if all are intended to become living temples of God, then does not that require all of us to dedicate ourselves to God from our very earliest years of childhood and youth? Oh yes, oh yes – it goes without saying that this is required. But how can we fulfill this requirement?

This is an extremely difficult question, and I would like, if not to explain it to you, then at least to turn your attention to the importance and difficulty of this essential deed.

All of us receive sanctification in God’s Temple; we are sanctified in it by great and glorious Mysteries that bring us close to God, to the Lord Jesus Christ, making us even into temples of the Holy Spirit.

In God’s Temple, at the divine services, we hear the great words of the Mystery of the Bloodless Sacrifice; we hear the chanting and reading of the Church, and receive great, very important, and very profound sanctification.

But without the sanctification of the Mysteries of the divine services of the Church, can we become temples of the Spirit of God?

But you know that, by God’s allowance, this has become impossible for many Christians, for the divine services have ceased in many churches; for many people, especially peasants, live far, far away from churches in which the divine services and Mysteries continue to be celebrated.

This is very, very hard for us, especially for those who do not have the opportunity to hear the divine services, to be sanctified by the great mysteries of the Church.

This is very hard, but do we really need to give in to hopelessness? Do we really have no opportunity to raise our children in such a way that they would become temples of God and abodes of the Holy Spirit? No, God has not abandoned us, for we know from Holy Scripture that we can raise our children in our own house churches, about which the Apostle Paul speaks at length in his great epistles.

I should like to draw your attention to these words “house churches.” Completing his First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul conveys greetings from his friends Aquila and Priscilla and their house churches. They had their own house church.

In the Epistle to Philemon, the Apostle greets him with “the church in thy house” and their friends (Philemon 1:2). He also had a house church. Similar greetings to “house churches” are found in the epistles of the great Apostle to the Romans and the Colossians. They also had house churches.

What is a “house church” and what did the Apostle himself understand by these words? A “house church” is a strong Christian family.

I will first say what a “house church” was in ancient times, and will allow you to ponder deeply over what, at least to a small extent, a house church could be in our times.

He understood the very profound significance of the Christian family; he understood that the family, not only in a Christian state, but also in all other states far from Christianity, was of very great significance. He understood that the family is the primary unit that lies at the foundation of everything that takes places in the state and in society. Society itself and the state itself depend in great part on how individual families live, and on the goals that they have in their life.

If this primary unit is perfect, if it is pure, if it places before itself important and profound moral and spiritual goals, then society and the state will reflect these qualities of its primary unit: the family.

What was the house church in the times of the Apostle Paul, in these ancient times?

It was built along the lines of our dioceses, which are predominated, led, and guided by the bishop, who is called to the great mystery of the priesthood.

He directs the entire spiritual life of his diocese, taking care that the great commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ be realized and implemented in his diocese.

In ancient times, the meaning and significance of the father of the family was similar to the role the bishop was to play in his diocese.

He was to direct the entire spiritual life of his family; he was, to whatever small degree, to fulfill the duties that the bishop fulfilled in his diocese; he was, to a greater or lesser extent, to be the bishop of his family.

The mother of the family was to be like the ancient deaconesses. These were deeply devout women who were assigned by bishops to prepare women for the Mystery of Baptism. By frequent and long conversations, they prepared women for the Mystery of Baptism; they explained the profound and great significance of this Mystery; and served at its performance over women. Moreover, they took care of feeding the hungry and strangers and of clothing the needy. They served everyone who was in need of deeds of mercy; they were the directors and first performers of these deeds.

Thus, all mothers and wives were to have been like the deaconesses in the house churches. Upon them lay the extremely important responsibility of teaching the Law of God and the commandments of Christ to their children and to all members of their family.

Today the state schools, as you know, do not teach the Law of God.

May all mothers today remember their most important and primary responsibility of enlightening their children with the light of Christ’s truth.

If the All-Holy and All-Pure Mother of God, already from the age of three, was dedicated to God; if she always breathed the incense of the people’s prayers in the Temple of Jerusalem; if she breathed the incense of the censer, then would not our children always be in need of this?

Do not our children need to breathe the incense of the censer, the incense of the people’s prayers?

In the ancient years of the Russian Church, the whole people understood this well, and children were brought up in a Christian and ecclesial spirit. Russian children, like the little All-Holy Theotokos, also breathed the incense of the people’s prayers and the smoke of the censer.

Thus it was, but thus it is no longer. Where is all this now? Do you now know how today the majority of Russian people have left all this behind, how they do not want to know anything about this, how they have no need of the Church, and have no need of the aroma of the censer’s incense?

Nonetheless, the Lord God has preserved a remnant, a considerable remnant: the churches are full of worshippers; and you, the small flock of Christ entrusted to me by God, eagerly listen to the word of God, and you fill our holy church. That means that not all is lost; that means that what the Apostle Paul says about house churches remains in force for us.

And you, too, and not only the ancient Christians, can perform the tasks that lay on the house churches.

I know, I know, how busy you are; how burdened you all are with social work, with working in factories, with jobs – not only husbands are busy, but so too are wives, the mothers of families. I know how difficult it is for them to fulfill their job responsibilities, and their family responsibilities, and their responsibilities akin to the ancient deaconesses: the responsibilities of mothers raising their children. I know, I know – and you know.

But if this work is difficult, then do we really need to conclude that one need not strive to fulfill it?!

Before all other deeds, remember about this great deed: that your children, innocent and pure children, take into their pure hearts the Law of God, the commandments of Christ, at least from the small amount of instruction that they can receive from you.

You have not yet forgotten the Law of God, so teach, teach your children, and then your family will become your house church. And the light of Christ from this house church will spread invisibly for you beyond the boundaries of your family.

The Light of Christ, His Divine Truth, will invisibly flow into the hearts and minds of all those who have dealings with you. It could be that the influence of your house church will go beyond its boundaries.

Then the eternal blessing of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, His Beginningless Father, and the All-Holy Spirit will be upon you.
Amen.
1957
Translated from the Russian.
https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Luka_Vojno-Jasenetskij/propovedi/2_26

***

The Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom which is conducted on the morning of the Feast and preceded by a Matins (Orthros) service. A Great Vespers is conducted on the evening before the day of the Feast. Scripture readings for the Feast are the following: At Vespers: Exodus 40:1-5, 9-10, 16, 34-35; I Kings 7:51, 8:1, 3-4, 6-7, 9-11; Ezekiel 43:27—44:4. At the Matins: Luke 1:39-49, 56. At the Divine Liturgy: Hebrews 9:1-7; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28.

Apolytikion Entrance of the Theotokos in the Fourth Tone

Today is the prelude of God’s pleasure and the proclamation of man’s salvation. The Virgin is clearly made manifest in the temple of God and foretells Christ to all. Let us also cry out to her with mighty voice, “Hail, fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation.”

Kontakion. Fourth Tone
Thou Who wast raised up

THE sacred treasury of God’s holy glory, * the greatly precious bridal chamber and Virgin, * the Saviour’s most pure temple, free of stain and undefiled, * into the house of the Lord * on this day is brought forward * and bringeth with herself the grace * of the Most Divine Spirit; * her do God’s Angels hymn with songs of praise, * for she is truly the heavenly tabernacle.

Tone IV:
Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs …”:

Into the Holy of holies * is the holy and immaculate one * led by the Holy Spirit; *
and she is fed by a holy angel, * in that she is the most holy temple * of our holy God,
* Who hath sanctified all things by her entry * and hath deified the nature of mortal
men * which had fallen. Twice

Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone V:
Spec. Mel.: “Rejoice, O Life-bearing Tree …”:

O grace divinely manifest! With gladness Anna leadeth to the temple of God the
pure Ever-virgin given her by grace, and she calleth maidens to go before her, bearing
lamps and saying: “Go forth, my child! Be thou an offering and incense of sweet
savor unto Him Who gave thee to us! Enter into the impassable precincts and learn
the mysteries! And prepare thyself to be the gladsome and beauteous dwelling-place
of Jesus, Who bestoweth upon the world great mercy!”

Glory …, Now & ever …, the composition of Leo Magister, in Tone II:

Today the most immaculate Virgin is brought to the temple, to the habitation of
God, the King of all, the Nourisher of our whole life. Today the most pure and holy
one, is led to the Holy of holies like a heifer three years of age. Let us cry out unto her
like the angel: “Rejoice, thou who alone art blessed among women!”

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE, § 54 [LK. 1O: 38-42, 11: 27-28]

Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village; and a
certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister
called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word. But Martha was
cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said, Lord, dost Thou not care
that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And
Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled
about many things: but one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part,
which shall not be taken away from her. And it came to pass, as He spoke these
things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto Him,
Blessed is the womb that bare Thee, and the paps which Thou hast sucked. But He
said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Father George Calciu, There is a “spirit of the Time” unveiling in the world in general, a (proteic) New-Age kind of spirit Let us not be deceived! has only one purpose: the destruction of nations, the abolition of the Orthodox Church in particular…

The Forefeast of the Presentation of the Theotokos into the Temple
Saint Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople
Saint Gregory of Decapolis

Commemorated on November 20

Father George Calciu Dumitreasa, New Confessor of the Romanian ( 2006 )
Ion V. Georgescu (1976)
Stefan Tumurug (1959)
Commemorated on November 21

A word on the “Spirit of the Time”
with Fr. George Calciu

Its image is gentle but its intent, perfidious

  There is a “spirit” unveiling in Europe and the world in general, a (proteic) New-Age kind of spirit that frequently changes its appearance and speech, striking the Christian world from all sides. Its image is generally gentle, its discourse attractive, but its intent perfidious. This spirit can speak in beautiful words about family, but its intent is to annihilate it. It can also sermonize on the Church, full of “love” for all, a sort of religious syncretism, but its urge is primarily to dispel Orthodoxy. It can speak about nations and their homelands as something that it tries to support, but its intent is to destroy both the Church and the nations. This spirit is called ecumenism.

  And this whole “beautiful” discourse, which takes on many faces, has only one purpose: the destruction of nations, the abolition of the Orthodox Church in particular and the establishment of a group of leaders, anointed by I do not know whom… to win over all nations to their spirit, to initiate them into certain social, political and religious orders, so that those leaders may always direct [world events]. Let us not be deceived! I live among these “speaders” of prolific and protean discourses that cover the world. And I know their hearts. They have no good intention for our Church! Under the guise of Christian love, of Christian peace, they hide their perfidious intent. And I came here to say: Do not get allured by it! …

  In this “New Age” spirit I’m referring to, nothing exists with an absolute value.

  For their intent is to destroy all the elements of the Faith, the moral elemets, the elements of kinship  on which  we have relied, since – so to say – there is no absolute truth. The truth, according to them,  is that which I possess [i.e. subjective truth]. And therefore, when my neighbor is wrong, I cannot tell him: “You’re deceived!” Nor can he tell me that I have erred, because we are absolute entities [onto ourselves]. We have our opinions which are absolute, but before others, they hold no value! This game of hiding the truth is an insidious invention of Satan.

***

– What is the relationship between hierarchy and the monasteries?

           Fr. George: – Generally the monasteries obey their hierarch. But only to the limit of heresy. Because of this, the hierarchy, especially in some areas, is upset. It persecutes monks, invents all sorts of things about them, all sorts of lies such as the one that they obey to the Russians, etc,. all aimed to motivate their ecumenist actions…

– How do you see the current state of our Church?

           Fr. George: – As in that story that my mother used to tell us children…with the legion of devils gathered to the house of the widow who had seven children and all were praying. Even today, the Church is surrounded by legions of devils. I mean not only our own but every Orthodox Church in the world: millions of devils surrounding them.

Tribulations took place at all times, but now they seem to multiply.

…you must steadfast in front of Satan! Steadfast as a pillar! to know when he faces a monk, a priest, a bishop and he will be defeated!.
 (Excerpt from the book” The Life of Father George Calciu – Christiana Press, P.131/132, translated from Romanian by EC)

On Pious Prayer
Father George Calciu

….I am not a pietistic, but I’d like to say that without the will of God, we wouldn’t be able to pray even the “Our Father”. This is because when we start praying, thousands of demons assail us.

  When I was a child, my mother would take me to church. We were eleven children in our family, and when she took us to church, we wound complain that our feet hurt from standing and that we wanted to go outside.

  And my mom would say: “As kids you do not understand, but know that the pain of your feet is your prayer before God.”

  She would also tell us this story: “In a village there was a bar where people and especially men will go out to drink (because at that time women will not go to bars, but now they do…). There, people would get dank, swear and fight, but in the entire place there was only one demon and perhaps the weakest that slept on the countertop because he had no work to do. In that same village, there was also the house of a widow who had seven children, and they all prayed at night. And her house was surrounded by a legion of demons… laboring hard”

  Then know my brethren that our churches and surrounded by legions of demons, striving hard to surrender us. For where the demon ought to accomplish its evil work! at the disco bar or at the beach? It has no work to do there. Of course that the evil spirits are also present in those places, but without much labor.

  But in the church, where the true faith is preached and we strive to practice true prayer, so the demons surround us from all sides striking where we’re most vulnerable.

  They temp you with doubt that your prayer is in vain, that you have something better to do, or perhaps with thoughts that God will not hear your prayer. But if you persist, this state of doubtfulness will vanish.

  When they first arrest me and I entered the Gulag, my faith was weak.

  When I started the school of Medicine, I knew some things about prayer and coming to Bucharest, I witnessed the beginning of a movement called the “Burning Bush”, a group of faithful dedicated to prayer that was initiated by Sandu Tudor [the future hieromonk Daniel from Rarau Monastery who later died as a martyr in communist gulag of Ayud – Ed], Father D. Stăniloae, Fr. B. Ghiuş, Father Babus, [Alexander “Codin”] Mironescu and other laymen and clergy engaged in the practice of prayer and catechesis, speaking on the great perils (elders) of the desert, and I was surprised of the deep treasures that prayer hides within and how much we can possibly grow that our prayer may become genuine.

  All these men I’m referring to – were extraordinary figures of our Church that with time have passed in the Lord, but they left behind a shinning mark and many of us today follow in the spirit that these fathers have instructed us then.

  In their presence I’ve learned greatly, and with time I strived to deepen my prayer life, until 1948 when I was arrested and sent to the gulag where I really felt the work of prayer.

  I shared the prison cell with various politicians, bishops, priests and monks, then I understood that prayer is a battle, a great effort.

  From the moment you sit or kneel down to pray, many demons attack you, even at your first words of prayer; the evil one fills your mind with many worldly thoughts, all sorts of unimportant things. Even the curiosity to know the time will occupy in your mind. Or the interest to know whether is sunshine or cloudy outside. All these thoughts may seem innocent, but they vanish the voice of prayer from our hearts.

Elder Porphyrios says that these thoughts that assault our mind while we’re praying are like airplanes. You hear them from afar like a soft noise without much disturbance, then they grow stronger and when they fly above your head they overwhelm you with their noise, but then they’ll passed away.
  But if you get into conversation with such thoughts – says father Porphyrios – they’ll make your heart an airport.

I was asked by many faithful how to fight the human thoughts that come to mind while praying. First, don’t pay attention to them. Let them pass by.  Second, call for the help of the Lord and of your guardian angel. And thirdly do not open your heart to the conversation with evil thoughts. Because the demon is stronger than us.
  Then we ought to pray with piety and humility. Whilereading the prayers of confession and Holy Communion written by Saint John Chrysostom, St. Simeon the New Theologian and other great saints of our Church that we seek as models for our lives, we see how these fathers confess the temptations that themselves had encountered, the evil thoughts, the malice… explanations given to help us with our prayer….

If you pray out loud, and many times we pray this was because we can focus more, do not let yourself carried out by the resonance of words, or by the beautiful phrases, as some prayers are indeed very beautiful. Do not be tempted by the “aesthetic”.
  I remember when I first read the acathyst prayer of the Burning Bush [composed by Daniel Sandu Tudor: Acathyst Hymn to the Mother of God, the Burning Bush – Ed], I did not comprehend very much. It sounded so beautiful, so theological that I was left only with a pleasant idea. However, this was also good, because through its mystical beauty God worked within us….

…when they took me to the gulag, I realized that I knew not how to pray.
  For I lived in a permanent fear being always distracted. When I wanted to pray, the guards troubled me or even beat me so I may cease praying and I could not go beyond this inner battle I was fighting… I was not able to concentrate to make a genuine prayer. I could not pray: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner”. I could not even say this much…
  There was a war with myself…
  Then I remembered what St. Maximus the Confessor said about prayer and indeed, slowly I started to connect to prayer… the deeper prayer; I was striving to empty my mind of all evil, of all that was negative within me and the evil that surrounded me, so I advanced to a point where an abyss was laying before me… a frighten abyss… and I did not know what would follow.
 To throw myself into the abyss as Satan tempted Jesus that God will send His angels to save Him? I was frightened so I pulled back.
  But it happened that God sent the angel who saved me, and the stone did not hurt my foot… 
(This is part of a retreat given by Fr. George Calciu in Romania – November 2006 – few weeks before departing in the LordTranscribed and translated by EC. Please do not copy without permission)

The Hand of God, Father George Calciu
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2017/06/20/18224/

Apolytikion of Forefeast of the Entry of the Theotokos
Fourth Tone

By blossoming forth the only Ever-virgin as fruit, today holy Anna doth betroth us all unto joy, instead of our former grief; on this day she doth fulfil her vows to the Most High, leading her with joy into the Lord’s holy temple, who truly is the temple and pure Mother of God the Word.

Apolytikion of Proclus, Abp. Of Constantinople
Fourth Tone

O God of our Fathers, ever dealing with us according to Thy gentleness: take not Thy mercy from us, but by their entreaties guide our life in peace.

Troparion, in Tone VIII:

Teacher of Orthodoxy, instructor of piety and chastity, * luminary of the Church, God-inspired instructor of Hierarchs, * O most wise George, thou hast illumined all by thy teaching; * entreat Christ God that our souls be saved.

Tone IV:
Spec. Mel.: ‘As a virtuous’

We know thee, O God inspired holy Father George, * to be the foundation of truth and confirmation of the faith, * the elucidation of dogmas and a model of piety, * an abode of purity, * a select vessel, * the sweet redolence of the Spirit, * a great treasury of doctrines * and a foundation of the Church of Christ.

Increasing thy talent of wisdom O glorious George, * thou wast deemed worthy to participate in the joy of thy Lord; * adorned with the bright illumination of divine grace and spiritual radiance, * standing now before the life-creating right hand of God, * thou art eternally resplendent.

Abbot Daniel Tudor of the Romanian, the new confessor of Christ with the fiery prayer

Hiero-schemamonk Daniel (Sandu Tudor) of Romania (1962)

Commemorated on November 17

Abbot Daniel Tudor, New Confessor of the Romanian

He was born on December 22, 1896 in Bucharest. After the First World War he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts. In the year 1929 he traveled to Mount Athos, where he lived for eight months. God saved him often from a violent death. Once, flying his own plane, he was saved from death, saying the noetic prayer. While the airplane was destroyed, he did not suffer anything.

After the Second World War, returning to his house, he learned that his wife had left him. He then decided to become a monk. He sold all his belongings, renewed the Antim Monastery in Bucharest, and became a monk there. From the year 1945, the monastery gathered around it a group of scholars, which was trying to regain, based on the Bible and the Holy Fathers of Orthodox Christianity, true spirituality, having as a center of their efforts the noetic prayer. They were called The Burning Bush. Later he went to the Sychastria Monastery where Elder Cleopas made him a hermit and later abbot of the Skete Raraou. One day in June 1958, he greeted the brothers and went to Bucharest, having been informed by God that he will re-enter prison, where he will die, confessing Christ. The principal of guilt, as confessed by a court magistrate, was that he wanted to burn Communism with The Burning Bush.

One day in winter, they put him together with a friend in a storehouse – the White or the Refrigerator – where it was minus 30 degrees. The storehouse had no windows, but a very dirty floor. People who were put in there would die of cold after no more than three days. Father Daniel lay down immediately with his face in the dirt and with open arms, and told the friend: “Sit on me back to back with open arms and say only this, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!'” Immediately as they started to say this, the storehouse was filled by a very brilliant light, and thereafter they did not know what happened next. After eight days (without the two prisoners receiving any water or food, sleep or clothes), the guards came to take their carcasses, but they were alive and fine. When they touched Father Daniel he was hot, and what was around him had melted.

In prison he was one of the few who wore leg chains during his time of incarceration. He died after four years of suffering in Aiount on November 17, 1962. We do not know exactly where his holy body is to be found.
https://www.impantokratoros.gr/15F67610.en.aspx

***

Sandu Tudor (Father Daniel ) demanding universal penance, seeking to revive medieval hesychasm, he joined other mystics and writers in creating the “Burning Pyre” religious movement.The Burning Pyre met daily, the group had among its members some high-profile intellectuals of various backgrounds. They were joined by high-profile Orthodox clergymen: Ghiuș, Dumitru Stăniloae, Sofian Boghiu and Arsenie Papacioc..

The Burning Pyre cell also offered a form of Orthodoxist resistance against the growth of communism in Romania. Sandu Tudor would also explain that the incessant prayer is the very “heavenly prayer” of (sinless) Adam, revived by Virgin Mary “when she was taken to the Holy of Holies, where she lived in uninterrupted prayer […]

Father Roman (Braga) commented :
The Bucharest government was panicking. It was afraid of the ‘Burning Bush’ more than all the centres of resistance in the Carpathians. For revolutionaries, there is the punishment of imprisonment and death. But what do you do with that ‘center’ of man that no one can control. One of them, the Abbot Daniil Sandu Tudor, ‘Saint Daniil’ as he was called among the prisoners, died in ‘Zarca de Aiud’, after four years of torture and beatings, being among the few prisoners who wore chains throughout their detention. This fact is attested by the former prisoner of Suceava Teofil Dumbrăveanu, who in a letter addressed to Metropolitan Antonie Plămădeală shows :
‘At the exit on the gate, to the cemetery they threw an iron spear in their heart, to see if he is alive or dead, as in classical martyrologies. In ‘Zarca de Aiud’, amongst the prisoners, the memory of “Saint Daniel” is always kept. Later, the young men who dug a ditch in prison found a skeleton with chains on the legs. They believed that he was the prisoner “Saint Daniel’.

 Apolytikion in Plagal of the First

Flowers of Romania, planted by God, children of the Church true and faithful, let us exalt, O faithful, as martyrs of Christ; for they competed brilliantly, confessing Christ before the atheists, and were worthily crowned, in His glorious kingdom.

 

St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Neo-Caesarea prayed to God for help, and God rendered them invisible to their pursuers. God guards and saves the righteous from assaults.

St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Neo-Caesarea (266).
Venerable Longinus of Egypt (4th c.).
Venerables Zacharias the Leather-worker and John of Constantinople. (7th c.)
St. John the Cobbler of Olumba, Cairo, and Sinai (7th c.).
Venerable Hilda, abbess of Whitby British (680)
Venerable Lazarus the iconographer Confessor of Constantinople (857).
Martyr Gobron (Michael) Prince of Georgia, and 133 soldiers martyred with him (914)
Venerable Nikon, abbot of Radonezh, disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh (1426).
St. Sebastian (Dabovich) of Jackson Serbia (1940)
New Hieromartyrs of Russia: Gennadius the Archimandrite; Timothy, Constantine, and Theodore, the Priests; and another anonymous Priest.

Commemorated on November 17

St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Neo-Caesarea

The saint Gregory fled from the worldly affairs into which influential townsmen persistently sought to push him. He went into the desert, where by fasting and prayer he attained to high spiritual accomplishment and the gifts of clairvoyance and prophecy. St Gregory loved life in the wilderness and wanted to remain in solitude until the end of his days, but the Lord willed otherwise.

***

Let the following examples from the Life of St. Gregory show how God guards and saves the righteous from assaults. While he was still at the school of philosophy in Alexandria, St. Gregory preserved the purity of his soul and his body, as he preserved it to the end of his life. In this, he was an exception among the dissolute youth of that time. This evoked envy and hatred among his companions. In order to debase Gregory, they found a harlot to help them carry out an evil plan. Once, when Gregory was standing in the square with eminent teachers and philosophers, the foul woman approached him and loudly demanded that Gregory pay her the remainder due for impure relations with her. Some of the people present were scandalized, while others were angry at this shameless woman and began to chase her away; but she shouted even louder, demanding money. The innocent Gregory blushed, as any decent man would before such coarse slander, but he displayed neither anger nor hatred, and asked a friend to give her the amount that she sought so she would leave. The friend heeded Gregory, and gave her the money she wanted. But at that moment God let an evil spirit enter the woman and she fell to the ground and began writhing and convulsing, gnashing her teeth, and foaming at the mouth. Seeing this, everyone was terrified. But St. Gregory, innocent as a lamb, prayed to God for her, and the woman was healed and arose. Thus, instead of humiliation, Gregory acquired even greater glory.

Another example: When a bitter persecution of Christians took place, St. Gregory counseled Christians to hide, and he and his deacon hid on a hill. But the imperial soldiers caught sight of them and pursued them. When they were almost upon them, Gregory prayed to God for help, and God rendered them invisible to their pursuers. The soldiers searched for them in vain, and finally left without them.
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič 
http://livingorthodoxfaith.blogspot.gr/2010/04/prologue-november-17-november-30.html

***

When the Bishop of Comana died, St Gregory of Neocaesarea, the Wonderworker (Nov. 17th), was invited to preside over the Council to choose a new bishop. At the Council there were both clergy and laymen. They were unable to come to agreement on one person, estimating the candidates they selected according to their outward worth and behaviour. St Gregory told them that they must not give so much weight to the outward impression as to the soul and the spiritual aptitude. Then some wag called out mockingly: ‘Then let’s choose Alexander the charcoalburner as bishop!’, and there was general laughter. St Gregory asked who this Alexander was (Comm. August 12). Thinking that his name would not have come before the Council except by the providence of God, he commanded that he be brought. Being a charcoal-burner, he was black with soot and in rags, and his appearance provoked further mirth in the Council. Then Gregory took him aside and asked him to tell the truth about himself. Alexander told him that he had been a Greek philosopher, enjoying great honour and position, but that he had set it all aside, demeaned himself and made himself as a fool for Christ from the time that he had read and understood the Holy Scriptures. Gregory commanded that he be bathed and clad in new clothes, then went into the Council with him and, before them all, began to examine him in the Scriptures. All were filled with amazement at the wisdom and grace of Alexander’s words, and were quite unable to recognise the former charcoal-burner in this wise man. With one voice, they chose him as bishop, and he received the love of his flock for his holiness, his wisdom and his goodness.

Learn to respect and to love the lowly and simple people. Such as these are the most on earth: such as these are the most in the Kingdom of Heaven. In them, there is no pride, i.e., the basic madness from which the souls of the rich and the powerful of this world suffer. They carry out their duty in this world perfectly and yet it appears to them amusing when someone praises them for it, while the self-seeking men of this world seek praise for all their work and often, it is imperfectly completed. St. Alexander was an eminent philosopher and he left everything, hid himself from exalted society, the praise of the world and mingled with the lowliest and the simplest of men, as a charcoal-burner among charcoal-burners. Instead of former praises and honors, he endured with rejoicing that children ran after him and laughed at him because of his sootiness and raggedness. However, Alexander was not the only one who liked to live with the lowly and simple. Many kings and princes, learning of the sweetness of Christ’s Faith, removed the crowns from their heads and fled from aristocratic vanity to be among the simple people. Did not He alone, the King of Kings, the Lord our Christ appear among shepherds and fishermen? St. Zeno counsels: “Do not choose a glorious place for living and do not associate with a man of a prominent name.”
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič

The internal peace and lack of malice of St. Gregory the Miracle-Worker. St. Seraphim of Sarov
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2017/11/16/the-internal-peace-and-lack-of-malice-of-st-gregory-the-miracle-worker-st-seraphim-of-sarov/

Apolytikion.
Mode pl. 4.

By your accomplishments, you earned the name that you bore, for you were vigilant in prayer and diligent in working miracles. Therefore, holy father Gregory, intercede with Christ our God, that He illumine our souls, lest we fall asleep in sin unto death.

Mode pl. 1. Rejoice.

Torrents of your divine prayers, O Saint, * dried up the lakelet that had formerly caused a row. * O wise one, you stopped the wayward stream * from overflowing its banks * with your staff that sprouted and became a tree. * You leveled the altar stones of the demons, O Gregory. * By your most ardent supplications to God on high, * you have brought an end to the winter of unbelief. * You gave assurance unto souls * by miracles, leading them * unto the great Benefactor, * who has rewarded you worthily. * To Him pray intently * and petition Him to send down great mercy on our souls.

American Christianity desperately needs the witness of Saint Herman of Alaska

St. Paisius Velichkovsky (1794)
St. Herman of Alaska (1836)

Commemorated on November 15

Pavle Patriarch of Serbia
The Patriarch of simplicity and humility

Reposed on 15 November 2009

A Necessary Witness and Example
Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko

The elder Herman of Alaska, missionary monk of Spruce Island, near Kodiak, died on the December 13, in 1837.  He is the first formally canonized saint of the Orthodox Church in America, glorified on August 9, 1970. (Both dates are annual feasts of this beloved father in Christ.)

For those familiar with the actions of the Lord in history, who have heard of the Passover of His people from Egypt, who have been struck by the Word of God from the mouth of His prophets, who have believed in the Gospel of the Kingdom of His Incarnate Word Jesus, the fact that the elder Herman should be the first glorified saint in His Church in America comes as no surprise whatsoever.  How like the Lord it is – Who has His only begotten Son born on earth of a lowly woman in a cavern, nailed to the Cross with thieves outside the wall of the Holy City, witnessed in His resurrection by a former prostitute out of whom came seven devils, and preached by the greatest apostle who had previously acted as an accomplice to the murder of the first Christian martyr – how like this Lord it is to raise up first among the holy ones of the Church in the new lands a person like St. Herman.

The young monk Herman was a hermit in the monastery of Valaamo in Russian Finland. He was chosen to be a member of the first missionary team being sent to the Russian lands in Alaska. He was not ordained. He was not formally educated. He had no particular human skills. His only grace was that he was a holy man, a person of genuine faith and continuous prayer.

Herman came to America with the first group of missionaries.  He alone survived, living for many years as a simple monk on Spruce Island.  He taught the people the Gospel. He attended to their spiritual and physical needs. He defended them against the cruelty of the Russian traders. He pleaded their cause before the imperial throne. He was beaten and persecuted by his own people for his condemnation of their injustices and sins. He identified wholly with the afflicted and oppressed. He died in obscurity, foretelling his glorification in future years by the Church that would emerge from his own humble efforts and those of the waves of immigrants who would inhabit the continent. And he revealed himself from heaven to those who, like him, remained faithful to God, including the great missionary bishop, the widowed priest and “Apostle to America,” Saint Innocent Veniaminoff.  (Bishop Innocent died in 1879 as the Metropolitan of Moscow and was officially canonized on October 6, 1977, which day remains his annual feast, together with the day of his death, March 31.)

American Christianity desperately needs the witness of Saint Herman, for the American way of life is so radically opposed in so many ways to the life of this man and the Lord Jesus whom he served. Power, possessions, profits, and pleasures: these are the things that Americans are known for. These are the goals that we are schooled to pursue. These are the things in which we take pride. And, sadly enough, these are also the things that many of us are taught to value by our “religious leaders,” both by their words and their examples. But this was, and is, not the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is not the way of His saints.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also…No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and mammon…But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Matthew 6:19-21, 24-25, 31-33.)

By American standards, Saint Herman of Alaska, like the Lord Jesus Himself, was a miserable failure. He made no name for himself. He was not in the public eye. He wielded no power. He owned no property. He had few possessions, if any at all. He had no worldly prestige. He played no role in human affairs. He partook of no carnal pleasures.  He made no money.  He died in obscurity among outcast people. Yet today, more than a hundred years after his death, his icon is venerated in thousands of churches and his name is honored by millions of people whom he is still trying to teach to seek the Kingdom of God and its righteousness which has been brought to the world by the King Who was born in a cavern and killed on a cross.  The example of this man is crucial… especially in America. 

(From The Winter Pascha, pp. 45-48, published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.)

***

Pavle Patriarch of Serbia

Thou only, Lord, knowest what we need;
(Prayer of Pavle, Patriarch of Serbia)

“None in this noisy era spoke so softly and yet was heard so widely as he. None spoke less and yet said more. None in our delusional age confronted truth with such calmness as he.”
the Serb poet M. Betskovic– Матија Бећковић about the Patriarch Pavle of Serbia

Before you start judging me and my life, put my shoes on and go my way! Walk through the streets, hills and valleys! Feel the pain and happiness! Pass the years through which I’m passing, fall over every stone I found on the road! Get up and again keep going in the same way, like I am! And then you can judge me.

“If we live as people of God, there will be room for all nations in the Balkans and in the world. If we liken ourselves to Cain, then the entire earth will be too small even for two people.” The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us to be always children of God and love one another. We should remember the words of St. Paul: “If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men.”

Jesus Christ says: “Let thine light shine before the people. Let them see thine good deeds and celebrations of thine Lord who is in Heaven”. This applies to us all. If we act in this manner, if we live by this rule, then it would be easier for us, both amongst ourselves and before the people in the world among whom there are undoubtedly people of good will […] We should be and act like humans in all circumstances thus saving ourselves, our family and our nation and contribute in this manner to the whole of humanity and people of good will. […] This is my wish and I pray to God so that you could live better, more peacefully and safely than we did.”
Patriarch Pavle, From his interview in December 27, 1999

Wisdom will preserve us from wolves, and kindness will prevent us from turning into wolves

We cannot pass through this world without suffering and hardship. The history of mankind is filled with so much devastation caused by the elements, so much misery caused by man to his fellow man.
In the Holy Scriptures, God points many times to the suffering that awaits His faithful: In the world you have tribulation….; If they persecuted me, they will persecute you: let he who wants to go with me take up his cross and follow (Jn 16:33; 15:20). The Apostle Paul also says that we must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations (Acts 14:22).

“Orthodoxy is a faith that is recognized by how we live it, by how we act, by how we behave ourselves. Orthodoxy is a way of life.”

Patriarch Pavle belonged to a different tradition. He was a mystically prayerful monk, rather than a sanguine Prince of the Church. He was a Patriarch who blended, harmoniously, three key functions of his throne: that of the father, of the priest, and of the prophet. He understood, and lived, the legacy of Prince Lazar, martyred at Kosovo in 1389: “The Kingdom on Earth is but paltry and small; yet the Kingdom of Heaven is forever and knows no bounds.

Pavle Patriarch of Serbia ‘This is our angel, who protects and defends us.’”
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2017/11/14/pavle-patriarch-of-serbia-this-is-our-angel-who-protects-and-defends-us/

A “saint who walks”, Serbian Patriarch Pavle
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2015/06/10/a-saint-who-walks-serbian-patriarch-pavle/

Troparion St. Herman of Alaska — Tone 7

O joyful north star of the Church of Christ, / Guiding all men to the Heavenly Kingdom; / Teacher and apostle of the true faith; / Intercessor and defender of the oppressed. / Adornment of the Orthodox Church in America, / Blessed Father Herman of Alaska, / Pray to our Lord Jesus Christ / For the salvation of our souls!

Troparion St. Herman of Alaska, Tone IV —

O venerable Herman, ascetic of the northern wilderness/ and gracious advocate for all the world,/ teacher of the Orthodox Faith and good, instructor of piety,/ adornment of Alaska and joy of all America;// Entreat Christ God, that He save our souls.

Troparion of Pavle Patriarch of Serbia — Tone 4

A model of faith and the image of gentleness, the example of your life has shown you forth to your sheep-fold to be a master of temperance. You obtained thus through being lowly, gifts from on high, and riches through poverty. Pavle, our father and priest of priests, intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

On “Lord, I have cried …”, the Stichera,
In Tone VI:
Spec. Mel.: Having put off all.

Thy life became resplendent with the radiance of the virtues, * and hath both illumined the faithful, * and dispersed the foggy mist of error, * for thou O most blessed Hierarch Pavle / didst truly appear as a radiant sun; * and now having become, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, * a son of the day, * thou hast made thine abode wherein the Never-setting Light doth shine; * wherefore, honorably celebrating thy divine and radiant memory, * we lovingly venerate thee, O ever-memorable one.

Thy mind, O Divinely-wise one, inclined unto God * and nourished by faith, * hath become radiantly divine * O all-glorious one, * in a mortal and corrupt body contemplating incorruption; * O all-wise one, * thou hast acquired the splendor of the bodiless ones, * and remaining passionless thou hast adorned thyself with dispassion, * O Father Pavle, most wise Hierarch, * radiant light and intercessor for those who with faith honor thy memory.

Idiomelon, Glory …, In Tone VIII:

   The fruits of thy virtues, * O venerable Father, * hath enlightened the hearts of the faithful; * for upon hearing of thine immeasurable humility * who could not but wonder at thy patience, * at thy gentleness towards the poor and needy, * at thy consolation of the sorrowing? * For thou hast in a Godly manner instructed all, * O Hierarch Pavle , / and now adorned with a never-fading crown; * do thou intercede for our souls.