Let us, do what is necessary to change our lives in such away that people meeting us may look at us and say: There is something about them that we have never seen in anyone. What is it? And we could answer: It is the life of Christ abroad in us. We are His limbs. This is the life of the Spirit in us. We are His temple. Anthony of Sourozh

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς Ἀνέστη!
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
Христос Воскрес! Воистину Воскрес!
ქრისტეაღსდგა! ჭეშმარიტადაღსდგა!
Kristos (İsa) dirildi! Gerçekten dirildi!
Al-Massih-Qam! Hakkan Qam!

Synaxarion From the Pentecostarion.
On this day, the second Sunday of Pascha, we inaugurate the celebration of the Feast of Christ’s Resurrection, and also the saving confession of the Apostle Thomas when he saw the hands and side of the Risen Lord.
On this day, we also commemorate the 172 Anonymous Venerable New Martyrs of Panagia Eikosifoinissa Monastery (+ 1507)
On this day, we also commemorate the contest of the Holy 1241 New Martyrs of Naousa, who were brutally massacred in the kennels of Arapitsi, Young Women, Mothers, and these Children (1822)
On this day, Memory of Holy New Hieromartyr Niketas of Serres (1808)
On this day, we celebrate the memory of the Holy Five Neomartyrs of Samothrace: Sts. Manuel, Theodore, George, George the younger, and Michael. 1835.
On this day, Commemoration of the Massacre in 1823 at the Cave of Milatos of Mirabelo, Crete. 
On this day, we also commemorate the Miraculous Liberation of the Holy Mountain of Athos from the Turks in 1830
On this day, the Synaxis of the Panagia Pantanassa at Mystras
On this day, we commemorate the paradoxical receiving of the wonderworking Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos that is called Glykophilousa, which miraculously was granted to our Holy Monastery of the Venerable Philotheos, during the reign of Theophilos the Iconoclast.

Verses
If the seals of the Virgin’s womb and of the grave did not hinder Thee,
How could the seals of the doors hinder Thy might, O Lord?

Sunday of St. Thomas
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
April 30, 1995

To-day we are keeping the day of St Thomas the Apostle. Too often we remember him only as a doubter; indeed he is the one who questioned the message which the other Apostles brought to him when they said: Christ is risen! We have seen Him alive!
But he is not one who doubted throughout his life or who remained unfaithful to the fullness of the divine revelation of Christ. We must remember that when the Apostles and the Lord heard of the illness of Lazarus, Christ said to them: Let us return to Jerusalem. To which the others said: But the Jews wanted to kill you there. Why should we return? Only Thomas the Apostle answered: Let us go with Him and die with Him. He was prepared not only to be His disciple in words, not only to follow Him as one follows a teacher, but to die with Him as one dies with a friend and, if necessary, for a friend. So, let us remember his greatness, his faithfulness, his wholeness.
But what happened then when after the Resurrection of Christ, the Apostles said to the one who had not seen Christ risen, that they had actually seen the risen Christ? Why did he not accept their message? Why did he doubt? Why did he say that he must have proofs, material proofs? Because when he looked at them, he saw them rejoicing in what they had seen, rejoicing that Christ was not dead, rejoicing that Christ was alive, rejoicing that victory had been won. Yet, when he looked at them he saw no difference in them.. These were the same men, only full of joy instead of fear. And Thomas said: Unless I see, unless I probe the Resurrection, I cannot believe you.
Is it not the same thing that anyone can say to us who meets us?
We proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ, passionately, sincerely, truthfully, a few days ago. We believe in it with all our being; and yet, when people meet us in our homes, in the street, in our place of work, anywhere, do they look at us and say: Who are these people? What has happened to them?
The Apostles had seen Christ risen, but the Resurrection had not become part of their own experience. They had not come out of death into eternal life. So it is also with us; except with the saints, when they see them, they know that their message is true.
What is it in our message that is not heard? Because we speak, but are not. We should be so different from people who have no experience of the living Christ, risen, who has shared His life with us, who sent the Holy Spirit to us as, in the words of C.S. Lewis, a living person is different from a statue. A statue may be beautiful, magnificent, glorious, but it is stone. A human being can be much less moving in his outer presence, yet he is alive, he is a testimony of life.
So let us examine ourselves. Let us ask ourselves where we are. Why is it that people who meet us never notice that we are limbs of the risen Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit? Why?
Each of us has got to give his own reply to this question. Let us, each of us, examine ourselves and be ready to answer before our own conscience and do what is necessary to change our lives in such away that people meeting us may look at us and say: Such people we have never seen. There is something about them that we have never seen in anyone. What is it? And we could answer: It is the life of Christ abroad in us. We are His limbs. This is the life of the Spirit in us. We are His temple. Amen.
http://www.mitras.ru/eng/eng_65.htm

***

Saint Paisios the Athonite on the Panagia
Liberating the Holy Mountain from the Turks

The good God ordains everything in the best way, but much patience and care is needed, because many times, when people struggle to free themselves from the net, they get tangled further.
God with patience untangles them. This situation will not go far. God will take a broom!

In 1830, because there were many Turkish soldiers, for a period of time, at Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos, there did not remain a single monk.
The Fathers had left, some with the Holy Relics, some to help in the [Greek] Revolution.
One monk would come from afar to light the vigil lamps and to sweep.
Inside and outside of the Monastery was the Turkish army, and this poor monk that was sweeping said: “My Panagia, what will happen with this situation?”
He prayed once with pain to the Panagia, and he beheld a woman approaching — it was the Panagia — who shone and whose face was radiating light.
She took the broom from his hand and said: “You don’t know how to sweep well; I will sweep.”
And she began to sweep.
Later she disappeared into the Holy Altar.
And in three days, all of the Turks had left!
They were cast out by the Panagia.

***

The Providence of the Glykophilousa *
“The Panagia will not abandon us… ”

During the German Occupation, the supply of wheat had almost run out at the Holy Monastery of Philotheou, so the Fathers decided to stop giving hospitality. When the pious Elder, Father Sabbas, learned of this, he was very grieved and urged the council of Elders not to take such an action, lest they sadden Christ and be deprived of His bless – ing from their monastery. He also gave them many examples from Holy Scripture, such as the widow of Zarephath’s hospitality to the Prophet Elias, and in the end the Fathers listened to his advice. Every so often, however, they would bother Elder Sabbas, saying, for example: “We are out of flour. Now what? ” The Elder would answer them: “Good Fathers, let us eat the little that re – mains together with the people, and the Pan – agia will not abandon us. ” There remained only twenty-five okas [one oka is approximately 1¼ kilograms (2¾ pounds)] of wheat in the monastery store – house and nothing else. The Fathers began taunting Elder Sabbas: “Well now, Father Sabbas, the wheat has fin – ished. And what do we do now? ” The pious old Elder, full of faith, would answer: “My good people, do not lose your hope in our Glykophilousa [“the Sweet-kissing”: a won – derworking Icon of the Mother of God trea – sured at the monastery]. Grind the twenty-five okas of wheat, bake bread with it, and distrib – ute it to the Fathers and the laymen, and God will take care of us like a good Father. ” Just when their bread finished, and before they even grew hungry, a sea captain from Kavala arrived at the Monastery of Philotheou and asked for firewood in exchange for wheat
Beholding the manifest providence of the Panagia, who took care of her monastery as a good Mother looks after her children, they all gave thanks to God. More than anyone else, of course, Elder Sabbas glorified God and thanked the Panagia, just as he constantly rendered her thanksgiving by his holy way of life. The Elder would repeat to the Fathers: “Did I not tell you, blessed ones, that the Panagia would not abandon us?”
 Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos, Athonite Fathers and Athonite Matters, published by the Convent of the Evangelist John the Theologian (Souroti, Thessaloniki: 1998). pp. 136-137. Translated from the original Greek.
https://www.imoph.org/pdfs/Periodicals/OIKPAR/OIKPAR08/Oik-Par-T8-Eng.pdf

Resurrect my soul, O Lord, so that my body might also be resurrected. Dwell in my soul, and my body will become Your temple. Prayer XCII (92) St. Nikolai Velimirovich
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2022/04/30/resurrect-my-soul-o-lord-so-that-my-body-might-also-be-resurrected-dwell-in-my-soul-and-my-body-will-become-your-temple-prayer-xcii-92-st-nikolai-velimirovich/

The wonderful palace of Paradise… Lord, lead us mercifully into Your eternal city of Heaven. St. Nikolai Velimirovich
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2023/10/05/the-wonderful-palace-of-paradise-lord-lead-us-mercifully-into-your-eternal-city-of-heaven-st-nikolai-velimirovich/

In the days of Noah, it was like this, the flood was approaching. The ark is the church. Only those who are in it will be saved. Saint Nectarius of Optina
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2022/05/11/in-the-days-of-noah-it-was-like-this-the-flood-was-approaching-the-ark-is-the-church-only-those-who-are-in-it-will-be-saved-saint-nectarius-of-optina/

Apolytikion. From Pentecostarion Grave Mode.

O Life, You rose from the sepulcher, even though the tomb was secured with a seal, O Christ God. Then, although the doors were shut, You came to Your Disciples, O Resurrection of all. Through them You renew a right spirit in us, according to Your great mercy.

Troparion for the Feast, Tone VII:

Whilst the tomb was sealed, Thou, O Life, * didst shine forth from the grave, O Christ God; * and whilst the doors were shut, * Thou didst come unto Thy disciples, O Resurrection of all, * renewing through them an upright Spirit in us ** according to Thy great mercy. (Thrice)

Apolytikion of Panagia Glykophilousa (Sweet-Kissing) in the First Tone (by Monk Gerasimos Mikragiannanitis)

Your holy Icon we praise as a very precious boast of Philotheou Monastery, for in it we behold you, O Pure One, kissing Christ as a babe, and we behold your great glory, O Virgin, and we cry out: Glory to your great deeds, O Pure One, glory to your sympathy, glory to your providence for us, O Spotless One.

Apolytikion of the Holy Five Neomartyrs of Samothrace in the First Tone

O lamps of Samothrace and adornment of Makri, you were shown forth truly as divine Neomartyrs, you struggled steadfastly for Christ and destroyed the delusion of the enemy, Manuel with Theodore and Michael, and the dual Georges: Glory to Him Who strengthened you, glory to Him Who crowned you, glory to Him who bestows on us through you grace and mercy.

Doxastikon in Plagal of the Second Tone
(A Hymn to the Panagia Glykophilousa of Philotheou and for the Liberation from the Turks, both celebrated on the Sunday of Saint Thomas.)

Who can rightly tell of your goodness towards us, the saving appearances and gifts, O Virgin Theotokos? For your Holy Icon wondrously passed over the waves and was granted to us as a divine treasure, and a pledge of salvation. Through your invisible presence, you care for us, and you drove back the foreign army that had troubled your Mountain. Therefore, we celebrate a dual feast: the receiving of your wonderworking Icon, which we praise, and the deliverance from the tyrannical siege. We cry out to you: ever protect and keep us, as you are our protection and defender, as I call you the Most-blessed One.

Apolytikion of the Holy Five Neomartyrs of Samothrace – 1st Tone (amateur translation)

O lamps of Samothrace and adornment of Makri, you were shown forth truly as divine Neomartyrs, you struggled steadfastly for Christ and destroyed the fallacy of the enemy, Manuel with Theodore and Michael, and dual Georges, glory to Him Who strengthened you, glory to Him Who crowned you, glory to Him who bestows on us through you grace and mercy.

Troparion of Ss Epiphanios and Germanos Tone 1

Let us honour the Church’s two divine trumpets,/ Hierarch Germanos and renowned Epiphanios;/ one censured Leo in defense of Christ’s icon, the other was a scourge of heresies./ These two ever intercede for us.

Troparion of Ss Epiphanios and Germanos Tone 4

O God of our Fathers, / always act with kindness towards us; / take not Your mercy from us, / but guide our lives in peace / through the prayers of the hierarchs Epiphanius and Germanus.

Troparion of Ss Epiphanios and Germanos Tone 4

O God of our fathers,/ deal with us ever according to Thy meekness./ Deprive us not of Thy mercy,/ but through their supplications// direct our life in peace.

Troparion of Ss Epiphanios and Germanos Tone 4

O God of our Fathers, / Take not away Your mercy from us, / But ever act towards us according to Your kindness, / And by the prayers of Your saints, / Guide our lives in peace.

Troparion of St John of Vlachia Tone 4

Today the spiritual commands the Church to the Orthodox believers, and joyfully shouts: / Come, ye lovers of the martyrs, to celebrate the annual remembrance of the struggles of the New Martyr John. / That this one of us, by God’s will, / rose up in the royal fortress of Constantine blooming greatly, / bringing the Master a rich and well-received fruit through martyrdom. / And now he continually prays in the heavens / for the salvation of our souls.

Apolytikion of St John of Vlachia

Today the Church of the pious Romanians spiritually celebrates and shouts joyfully: Come, lovers of martyrs, to celebrate the annual memory of the struggles of the new martyr John. He was raised among us by God’s will and blossomed wonderfully in the imperial city of Constantine, bringing to the Lord rich and welcomed fruit, through his martyrdom. And now he prays without ceasing in heaven, to save our souls.

Apolytikion of St Theodore of Cythera Tone 3

An inviolate treasure, the island has, in the placement of your relic, delivering us by the grace of miracles, liberating us from suffering and distress, for which it rejoices in honoring your memory. Venerable Father, entreat Christ God, to grant us the great mercy.

Hypakoi, Tone VI:

As Thou camest amongst Thy disciples, O Savior, * and gavest them peace, ** so also come amongst us and save us.

Exapostilarion, Tone I:

On this day Spring is fragrant; * and the new creation danceth; * today the bars have been removed from the doors of disbelief, * as Thomas the friend crieth out: ** Thou art my Lord and God.

Tone II:

After Thine arising, O Lord, * Thou didst stand in the midst of Thy disciples when they were gathered together, * while the doors were shut, granting them peace. * And Thomas became convinced at beholding Thy hands and side, * confessing that Thou art the Lord and God, ** Who dost save them that hope in Thee, O Lover of mankind.

Христос Воскресе, Радост донесе!
Људи ликујте народи чујте: ХРИСТОС ВАСКРСЕ!!!
Св. Николай Велимирович

“You are an angel, do you know it?” Saint Paisios of the Holy Mountain

Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.
Synaxarion
On April 12, we commemorate our Father among the Saints Basil the Confessor, Bishop of Parium. (754)
On this day in the year 942, the precious Belt (also called sash, garment and cincture) of our most-holy Lady Theotokos was transferred from the Diocese of Zela to Constantinople, during the reign of Constantine and Romanos Porphyrogenitoi. Afterwards, on August 31, it was moved to the holy shrine of Chalcoprateia.
On this day we also commemorate our righteous Mother Anthusa, daughter of Emperor Constantine V Copronymus.(809)
On this day we also commemorate the holy martyrs Demes and Proteon.(285-305)
On this day we also commemorate the holy hieromartyr Artemon the Presbyter, of Laodicea (284-305)
On this day we also commemorate our Father Julius I, Pope of Rome, defended St Athanasius against his Arian accusers, and also built many churches (352)
On this day we also commemorate the holy Martyr Sabbas the Goth, at Buzău in Wallachia (372)
On this day we also commemorate the Saint Constantine, the first Bishop of Gap in France (529)
On this day we also commemorate the three Righteous Martyrs Menas, David, and John of Palestine, shot by archers (after 636)
On this day we also commemorate our Father among the Saints Zeno the Confessor, Bishop of Verona.
On this day we also commemorate our Father among the Saints Basil, Bishop of Ryazan. (1295) (see also: July 3, and July 10)
On this day we also commemorate our righteous Father Acacius the New, who lived as an ascetic in the Skete of Kafsokalivia on Mt. Athos in the 18th century, died in peace.
New Hieromartyr Demetrius Rozhdestvensky, Protopresbyter of Alma-Ata (1921)
Synaxis of the Murom Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (early 12th century)
Synaxis of the Belinich Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (1876)

Saint Paisios the Athonite

Last night, as I was going to church for the vigil, I noticed in a corner a father with a child in a wheelchair. I approached the child, hugged him and kissed him. “You are an angel,” I told him, “do you know it?” And to the father I said, “It is a great honor for you to be serving an angel. Be joyful for this, for both of you will have a place in Paradise.” Their faces lit up with joy, for they felt a divine consolation. Those who minister to the sick and disabled with love and patience will erase the record of their sins with the sacrifice they are making; and if they do not have sins, they are being sanctified.
Saint Paisios the Athonite, Spiritual Counsels, vol. 4

***

The heavenly reward for disability

If we have a disability and we’re patient and don’t complain, then we have a greater reward. Because the disabled are all putting into their savings. One’s got an ear that’s deaf, another’s got an eye that’s blind, another’s got a leg that’s lame. That’s a great thing! If they also struggle a little against the passions in the soul, they’ll be given crowns by God. You see, servicemen disabled in war get a pension and are also awarded medals.

If people are hale and hearty, as well as good-looking, but don’t strive to deal with their shortcomings, God will say to them: ‘In your life, you enjoyed your goods and your well-being. What do I owe you now? Nothing’. But if somebody has a disability- either because they were born with it, or inherited it from their parents or suffered it later, they should be happy about what they’ll receive in the next life. And if they’re not to blame, they’ll receive a full wage in heaven, without deductions. It’s no small thing for people to be unable, for example, to stretch out a leg for the whole of their life, to be unable to sit, to be unable to do prostrations and so on. In the next life, God will say to them: ‘Come, my children, and sit in this comfortable armchair for all eternity’. This is why I say I’d prefer a thousand times to have been born mentally retarded, blind or deaf, because then I’d have something coming to me from God.

As long as they don’t grumble, but humbly glorify God and live close to Him, they’ll have the best places in paradise. God will rank them with the Confessors and Martyrs, who gave their arms and legs for Christ and now, in paradise, continually kiss His arms and legs with devotion.

– And if, Elder, someone’s deaf, for example and a complainer?
– Even little children whinge. There’s a lot that God pays no attention to. You see, good parents love their children equally, but show special interest in the weak or disabled. The same’s true of God, our good Father, as regards His children who are weak bodily or spiritually. As long as they’re well-disposed and give Him the right to intervene in their life.

***

7. Blessed are those who have been born crippled or became so due to their own carelessness, yet do not grumble but glorify God. They will hold the best place in Paradise along with the Confessors and Martyrs, who gave their hands and feet for the love of Christ and now constantly kiss with devoutness the hands and feet of Christ in Paradise.

8. Blessed are those who were born ugly and are de­spised here on earth, because they are entitled to the most beautiful place in Paradise, provided they glorify God and do not grumble.

9.Blessed are those widows who wear black in this life, even unwillingly, but live a white spiritual life and glorify God without complaining rather than the mis­erable ones who wear assorted clothes and live a spot­ted life.

10. Blessed and thrice blessed are the orphans who have been deprived of their parents’ great affection, for they managed to have God as their Father already from this life. At the same time, they have the affection they were deprived of from their parents in God’s savings bank “with interest”.

11. Blessed are those parents who avoid the use of the word “don’t” with their children, instead restraining them from evil through their holy life – a life which chil­dren imitate, joyfully following Christ with spiritual bravery.

12. Blessed are those children who have been born “from their mother’s womb” (Mt. 19:12) holy, but even more blessed are those who were born with all the inherited passions of the world, struggled with sweat and up­rooted them and inherited the Kingdom of God in the sweat of their face (Cf. Gen. 3:19).

13. Blessed are those children who lived from in­fancy in a spiritual environment and, thus, tirelessly ad­vanced in the spiritual life.

Thrice blessed, however, are the mistreated ones who were not helped at all (on the contrary, they were pushed towards evil), but as soon as they heard of Christ, their eyes glistened, and with a one hundred and eighty degree turn they suddenly made their soul to shine as well. They departed from the attraction of earth and moved into the spiritual sphere.

20. Blessed are those who were born crazy and will be judged as crazy, and, in this way, will enter Paradise without a passport.
Blessed and thrice blessed, however, are the very wise who feign foolishness for the love of Christ and mock all the vanity of the world. This foolishness for Christ’s sake is worth more than all the knowledge and wisdom of the wise of this world.
(“Precious Cross”, December 2, 1972).(Taken from the Elder’ Paisios of the Holy Mountain Sixth Epistle)

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

Hierarch Basil, priest of the King of glory, thou art a radiant confessor of the faith. Thou didst oppose the iconoclasts and suffer for the truth. Standing before God in glory, remember those who honour thee.

Troparion of St Basil of Parios Tone 4

Glorious hierarch Basil, / priest of the King of glory, / you are a radiant confessor of the Faith: / you opposed the iconoclasts and suffered for the Truth. / Standing before God, remember those who honor you.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, you became a successor to their throne. Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; by teaching the word of truth without error, you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood. Hieromartyr Artemon, entreat Christ God to save our souls.

Apolytikion of St Acacius Plagal Tone 1

You were majestically non-wicked, Father Akakios, and your shining life was as an all-bright star, for you become an imitator of the former Venerables, and were made worthy to profusely receive divine gifts; do not cease to entreat the All-Holy Trinity, to grant to all the divine mercy.

Troparion — Tone 4

At first you were honored with the episcopal dignity at Murom, but were unjustly banished. / You climbed onto your mantya as if it were a light ship; / and as one without a body, you made your way supernaturally over the water, / guided by the Providence of the Most High, and by the intercession of the Mother of God, you reached the God-saved city of Ryazan. / There you accepted your hierarchal throne, and your God-given flock of Ryazan. / You have done well, O Hierarch and Father Basil. / Entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 4

Today the city of Murom rejoices brightly, / like the radiance of the sun, O most wondrous Sovereign Lady, / having received your wonderworking Icon, / now we resort to it and pray, crying out to you; / “O Sovereign Lady Theotokos, / pray to Christ our God, Who was incarnate of you, / that He will deliver this city and all Christian cities and lands, / and preserve them unharmed by all the slanders of enemies, / and that He will save our souls, for He is merciful.

The spiritual person is a “consuming fire”… when you see scandals being created, do not be afraid and do not panic. If someone does not face up to reality in a spiritual manner, he will not enjoy a single day. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos

Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.
Synaxarion
On March 22 we commemorate the holy hieromartyr Basil, Presbyter of the Church of Ancyra.(362)
On this day we also commemorate the holy women martyrs, Kallinica and Basilissa of Rome, who died by the sword.(252)
On this day we also commemorate the holy Martyrs Drosida (Drosis) of Antioch, daughter of the emperor Trajan, and the five consecrated virgins with her.(†116)
On this day we also commemorate the holy Hieromartyr Octavian, Archdeacon of the Church in Carthage in North Africa, martyred with several thousand companions under the Arian Vandal King Hunneric (484)
On this day we also commemorate our Father among the Saints Deogratias, Bishop of Carthage.(457)
On this day we also commemorate the holy Martyrs Saturninus and Companions, a group of ten martyrs in North Africa.
On this day we also commemorate our Father Trien (Trienan), a disciple of St Patrick and Abbot of Killelga in Ireland (5th century)
On this day we also commemorate Our righteous mother Darerca of Ireland, sister of St Patrick of Ireland (5th century)
On this day we also commemorate our Father Fáilbe mac Pípáin, the eighth Abbot of Iona in Scotland (680)
On this day we also commemorate the holy Hieromartyr Basil of Mangazea in Siberia, Wonderworker (1602)
On this day we also commemorate the holy New Righteous Martyr Euthymius of the Holy Mountain, who contested in Constantinople in the year 1814, died by the sword.
On this day we also commemorate the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia: Barsanuphius (Nikitin ), Vladimir Vozdvizhensky , Vasily Gavrilov,Dmitry Glivenko, Nikolay Goryunov , Sergei Ermonsky, Andrey Ivanov, Joasaph (Shakhov), Hippolytus (Pavlik ), Sergey Kamensky, Pavel Kashkov, Petr Kosmodamiansky, Alexander Krasovsky, Ivan Krasovsky ,Sergey Lebedev, Alexander Makaveev. Mikhail Maslov , Prokhor (Pilgun), Sergey Sakharov, Alexey Smirnov, Ivan Sokolov, Nikolay Tsedrik, Sergey Tsvetkov, Sergey Chikarev, Alexandra (Nikitichna) Taisiya Vorobyova, Anna Evarestova, Anfisa Markova, Anna Razdoburdina, Tatyana Ryabchenkova (Repchenkova) ,Vera Smirnova, Natalya Ulyanova who suffered and received crowns of martyrdom from the godless satanic authorities of communism in Russia.

Verses
Indeed the Prophet spoke of pain in the belly,
Pierced the Martyr did not affirm pain.
On the twenty-second Basil was pierced with spikes.
Verses
Kalliniki was beheaded with Vasilissa,
The right-victorious queens of the heavens.

Saint Paisios the Athonite

“Everything starts from good thoughts. This is what elevates a person and changes him for the better. One must reach a point of being able to see all things in purity. It is as Christ said: ‘Judge not according to appearance, but judge [with] righteous judgment (John 7:4)’. And having acquired this, man can reach the point of seeing everything with spiritual eyes, not physical eyes. All things can be justified, in the good sense of the term.”
– Saint Paisios of Mount Athos Spiritual Counsels III: Spiritual Struggle (p 21)

***

The spiritual person is a “consuming fire”
Saint Paisios the Athonite

Question: Geronda, how can someone live a proper Christian life in today’s society, without being scandalized by those who live far from God?
– Why should anyone be scandalized by others who do not live close to God? If you were in a family with six or eight siblings, and one or two of them were led into error by Satan to live a sinful life, would their sinful life scandalize you?

— No, I would grieve, for they are my brother and sister.
— Well, then, the evil is within us. We have no love, and for this reason we do not consider all people our brothers and sisters and are scandalized by their life. We are all one big family and are brothers and sisters among ourselves, for we are all children of God. If we truly feel that we are brothers with all human beings, we will care for those living in sin and will not be scandalized by their sinful life, but instead will pray for them with pain. Therefore, if we are scandalized, the evil is within us; not outside. When you feel scandalized, you should ask yourself, “How many do I scandalize? In God’s name, shouldn’t I tolerate my brother or sister? How does God tolerate me with all the things I do?” Think of God, of Panaghia, the angels, who look upon all the people of earth— as if standing on a balcony and looking down on a plaza they see some stealing, others fighting, still others sinning carnally, and so on. How does God tolerate them all? How is it that He can tolerate all the evil and all the sin on earth, and we cannot tolerate even one brother or sister? It is awful!

Question: Geronda, what does Saint Paul mean when he says that “God is a consuming fire?”
– If you throw papers, trash into a furnace, what will become of them? Won’t they be burned up and consumed? It is the same with a spiritual person; whatever temptation is thrown at him will be burned up and consumed. A consuming fire! When the divine fire lights inside man, everything is burned. No evil thought can stick to him. In other words, the devil will hurl at him all kinds of evil thoughts, but the spiritual man is a fire that burns them up. In which case the devil grows weary of doing this and eventually stops. This is why Saint Paul the Apostle also writes, “To the pure all things are pure.” The pure see everything as pure; there is nothing impure. Even when thrown into the mire, the pure will remain pure like the rays of the sun which, no matter where they fall, remain bright and pure. The spiritual person is transformed for the better by the Saint, and is not irritated by the carnal person. He sees a carnal person and feels pain for him, but suffers no harm. Another person who is in a moderate state of spirituality is transformed for the better by a truly spiritual person; however, he is also transformed by a carnal person, but this time toward evil. A carnal person cannot distinguish a saint and is provoked by another carnal person. And while the possessed sees the saint and flees, the carnal person approaches a saint in order to tempt him and to scandalize him. One who is debased to the condition of the Sodomites is scandalized even by the Angels. The humble person, even when inexperienced spiritually, can distinguish the Angel of God from the devil, because he has spiritual purity and is related to the Angel. Whereas the egoist and carnal man, besides being easily beguiled by the cunning devil, transmits cunningness himself, provoking with his carnality and harming the weaker souls with his spiritual germs.

Question: Geronda, how does one reach the spiritual state of being able to see everything as pure?
-The heart must be purified so the Grace of God may find a place to rest. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Isn’t that what is written in the Psalm? When a man or a woman’s heart is purified, then Christ comes to dwell in it, and then they no longer scandalize others, nor are they scandalized by others; rather, they transmit Grace and reverence. The person who is careful to maintain his spiritual purity also preserves divine Grace. Then he sees everything in the light of purity, and is also able to utilize the impure for good and spiritual purposes. This good work of spiritual transformation is accomplished in his good and spiritual factory. Useless papers are turned into clean and useful paper napkins, writing pads and so on, old and broken bronze objects are turned into candle sticks and candle stands. In contrast, the person who accepts deviousness and thinks deviously will turn even good things into bad, like the factories which make ammunitions; they will turn even gold into bullets and shells, because that is what their machines are made for.
When someone starts making concessions to sin, he darkens inside, the eyes of the soul are clouded and he can no longer see clearly. Moreover, he is polluted by sin, and sin confuses and entangles him, causing him to see even the pure as sinful. There are people who cannot believe, for example, that some young people live pure and chaste lives. “It’s impossible for a such a thing to happen today,” they say. These poor souls are so immersed in sin that they see everything as sinful. People who sleep with the demons (tangalakia) cannot imagine that others are sleeping with little angels. But we must not expect the swine to be respectful of the lovely lilies. You see, even Christ said, Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest they trample them under their feet! For this reason, anyone trying to live a truly pure and spiritual life must be very careful never to be too bold before worldly people or allow that they are spiritually in the right, because they can do much harm and also be harmed themselves. Keep in mind that worldly people have another rule and another canonarch, and they cannot tell the difference between the Holy Myron and ordinary perfume.

– Geronda, can someone who wants to live close to Christ be hindered by external temptations?
– No. Only our lack of a spiritual life can separate us from Christ. This is the work of the demon: to create scandals and to spread evil all around; to attack people sometimes head on and at other times deviously. Christ loves us and is close to us when we live according to His will. For this reason, when you see scandals being created, do not be afraid and do not panic. If someone does not face up to reality in a spiritual manner, he will not enjoy a single day. For the devil will find his mark, that is, his weak point,’ and will constantly create scandals against him, today one thing, tomorrow another, the day after that yet another.
Excerpted from Elder Paisios of Mount Athos, “Spiritual Counsels, Vol. II: Spiritual Awakening

Troparion of St Basil Tone 3

By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit/ thou didst worthily receive the anointing of the priesthood, O Basil./ Thou didst offer thy martyr’s contest as a royal sacrifice/ to the King of ages./ O righteous Father, entreat Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.

Troparion of St Basil Tone 3

Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit you worthily received the anointing of the priesthood, O Basil. / You offered your martyr’s contest / as a royal sacrifice to the King of the Ages. / Righteous Father, entreat Christ God to grant us His great mercy.

Troparion of St Euthymios Tone 4

Strengthened by long years of ascetical labours,/ thou didst endure the pangs of martyrdom steadfastly, O glorious Athlete Euthymios./ For thou didst hasten to renounce error/ while holding the Cross and palm branches in thy hands./ And with these thou dost stand crowned and rejoicing in Christ’s presence.

May God so protect that not only people, but also not one creature, not even a bird, go to Hell. Saint Paisios the Athonite – May the Lord give you wisdom!

Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.
Synaxarion
On March 14 we commemorate our righteous father Benedict of Nursia. (543)
On this day we commemorate the holy martyr Alexander of Pidne. (c. 285-305)
Martyrs Basil and Euphrasius, together with other Christians, in Thessaloniki.
On this day we commemorate our righteous father Euschemon the Confessor, Bishop of Lampsacus. (9th century)
On this day we commemorate the holy 47 Martyrs of Rome, baptised by the Apostle Peter, and suffered in Rome under Nero, all on the same day (c. 67)
On this day we commemorate the Saint Rostislav, Great Prince of Kiev, who in holy Baptism was renamed Michael.(1167)
On this day we commemorate our Father among the Saints Theognostus the Greek, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia.(1353)
On this day we commemorate our Father Andreas (Andrew), Abbot, of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Rafailovo, Siberia (1820)
Repose of Blessed John, fool-for-Christ of Yurievits (1893).
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of St. Theodore (“Feodorovskaya”), Kostroma (1239, 1613)

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”(Matthew 25:40)

Saint Paisios the Athonite

– Elder, how will the Last Judgment take place?
– On the Day of Judgment, each person’s state will be revealed in an instant and each one will move on to where he deserves to be. Each person will observe his own wretched state like on a TV screen, as well as the other’s state. He will see himself reflected against the other and will bow his head in shame and thus move on to the place that he deserves.*

For example, a daughter-in-law who used to sit indifferently cross-legged in the presence of her mother-in-law, who although suffering a broken leg, was nevertheless taking care of her little grandchild, will not be able to say, “Why, O my Christ, are you putting my mother-in-law in Paradise but not me?” because that precise scene will appear before her eyes [during Judgment]. She will be recalling the scene of her mother-in-law standing on her broken leg to attend to her little grandchild, and she will know she doesn’t deserve to go to Paradise – and neither will there be any space for her there.

Or, when monks who have seen the difficulties and the trials that secular people have been undergoing and how they were confronted – but they themselves [as monks] had not lived accordingly – they will hang their heads in shame, and head for where they deserve.

Nuns who had not pleased God will see there all the hero-mothers – who had taken no vows nor had the blessings and opportunities that the nuns had – and how those mothers struggled and to what spiritual state they had reached – when they as nuns had preoccupied and tormented themselves with all those petty matters – will be ashamed of themselves.

This is how my thoughts perceive Judgment will take place. Christ is not going to say: “Hey you – come here! What have you done?” or “You: you are going to Hell!” and “You: you are going to Heaven”; but rather, each one of us will compare himself to the others and will proceed to where he knows his place is.**

The amount of joy experienced by each person in Paradise will vary. One will have a thimble full of joy, another a glassful, and yet another, an entire reservoir. But all of them will feel complete and no one will know the other’s extent of joy and delight. The Benevolent God has so ordered these matters, for if one knew that the other had more joy, then it would not be Paradise because then there would be questions like: “Why should he have more joy than me?” In other words, in Paradise, each person will see the glory of God in accordance with the purity of the eyes of his soul. The degree of visibility will not be determined by God, but will depend on each person’s purity.

– Elder, some do not believe that Hell and Paradise exist.
– They don’t believe that Hell and Paradise exist? Since they are souls, how is it possible for the dead to remain in non-existence? God is immortal and man is immortal by grace. Consequently, man will be immortal even in Hell. Moreover, Paradise and Hell are experienced by the soul, to a degree, even in this life, analogous with the inner state of each person. When someone experiences the pangs of remorse in his conscience and feels fear, distress, anxiety, hopelessness, or is overcome with hatred, envy and so forth, then he experiences Hell. But when he’s full of love, joy, and peace, gentleness, kindness and so forth, then he experiences paradise. The whole basis is the soul, for it is the souls that experiences both the joy and the pain. Go to a dead person and tell him the most pleasant things. Tell him, for example, “You brother has come from America!” he will not understand or feel anything. If you break his arms or his legs, again, he will not feel a thing. Therefore, it is the soul that feels and understands. Don’t the doubters wonder about this? Or let’s say, you have a beautiful and pleasant dream; you rejoice and your heart so delights in it, that you don’t want it to end. You wake up and are disappointed because you woke up. Or you may have a bad dream, wherein you fell and broke your legs, causing you much pain and suffering. Full of agony, you wake up crying; then you realize you’re all right, and you say, “Thank God, it was only a dream!” In other words, it is the soul that is participating in these things. From an unpleasant dream, one can suffer more than he would in reality, just as a sick person suffers more at night than during the day. By the same token, when one dies and goes to Hell, it will be a far more painful experience. Try to imagine living through and eternal nightmare and being tormented eternally! Here, we can hardly endure a bad dream for more than a few minutes. Try to imagine enduring it eternally–God forbid–in grief and sorrow! So, it’s better that we do not go to Hell. What do you think?

– Elder, we have been struggling for such a long time not to go to Hell…are you saying that we may end up there?
– If we have no brain, that is where we will go. I pray we all go to Paradise or on one goes to Hell! Isn’t this the right thing to say? It is a very grave thing, after all that God has done for us humans, to go to Hell and grieve Him. May God so protect that not only people, but also not one creature, not even a bird, go to Hell.

May the Benevolent God grant us a sincere and full repentance, so that death finds us in a good spiritual condition, and may we be established in His Heavenly Kingdom. Amen.

Notes:
* Saint John of Damascus writes: “Let no one believe that there will be no recognition of one another on that terrible gathering. Yes, indeed, each one will recognize the one near him – not by the form of his body, but by the discerning eye of the soul.” (PG 95 276A)
** Saint Symeon the New Theologian writes: “And quite simply, every sinful person will see opposite him on that terrible day of Judgment, in eternal life and in that ineffable light, the one who is like him, and he will be judged by him.” (On Repentance, Discourse 5, Sources Chrétiennes 96, 434

***

the “Least” (Elachistos)
By Photis Kontoglou

The old painters, who painted the Second Coming, depicted Christ in heaven sitting on his throne in order to judge the world, and on opposite sides of him sat the Twelve Apostles.
From the footstool of the throne came the river of fire, in which the sinners burned, and were swallowed up by the dragon at the bottom.
The archangels call out with their trumpets, and the terrified dead come out of their tombs.
One angel wraps up the sky like it was paper, and another weighs souls.
The winds are blowing angrily on all four corners of the universe, beasts and monsters devouring human heads, hands and feet.
Demons are grinding their teeth. All of creation is shaking at its foundations. Souls tremble like dry leaves which are taken away by a blizzard. The sun has become dark and gloomy and the moon is extinguished. Fear and terror sweep across the universe.

Only one man is not troubled, an old man, humble and quiet, who walks slowly with his staff in the midst of the world’s catastrophes, and boldly walks towards the throne of Christ. According to the inscription on the icon, this is the “Least”, that is, the most insignificant and despised in the world.
This man who is the “Least” is Barba Manolis the King, for whom the gates of heaven opened so that he may enter into Paradise.
“Barba Manolis the King.” by Photis Kontoglou

***

May the Lord give you wisdom!
Fr. John (Krestiankin)

Once, Batiushka wrote: “At the moment I am reading a passage from the Old Testament, and what depth [I find in it]: A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps (Prov. 16:9). The wise Solomon bore this out. You, also, in your own life must be convinced that it can be no other way.”

But the seal [of antichrist] can only be placed upon those who lived in sins without repentance, and who have renounced the Lord by their lives. The seal of antichrist will be preceded by the seal of sin on the mind.

Apostasy walks the earth, and we need to hold to the Church, for its Rudder is the Savior Himself.

The seal of antichrist will come when antichrist comes to reign and receives power, and becomes the one and only ruler on the earth. Right now every nation has its own head.
Therefore, do not panic before the time, but fear now the sins that open and pave the way to the future antichrist. The current passports are of the same quality as the old ones.

Forgive me magnanimously. I am sending you my vision of the current problems: over every tower of Babylon is God’s power and authority, and the current computer monster-beast must not be so terrible yet, seeing as the Lord takes His time in destroying this unreliable “archive.”
But the time will come when the Lord will disperse those fears with which the enemy of mankind has armed himself.
We must stand in the Faith and fear nothing but sin.

May the Lord give you wisdom!

Return to Me with humility whenever you fall and say, I have sinned and I will cure your passions and stand by you as your helper. Saint Niphon Bishop of Constantiane, in Algeria
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2023/03/13/return-to-me-with-humility-whenever-you-fall-and-say-i-have-sinned-and-i-will-cure-your-passions-and-stand-by-you-as-your-helper-saint-niphon-bishop-of-constantiane-in-algeria/

Doxastikon of Matins in the First
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Let us go before, O brethren, and cleanse ourselves for the Queen of virtues; for behold she hath come bringing to us fortune of good deeds, quenching the uprisings of passion and reconciling the wicked to the Master. Let us welcome her, therefore, shouting to Christ God, O thou who arose from the dead, keep us uncondemned, who glorify Thee, O Thou who alone art sinless.

Saint Theognostus, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia
Troparion — Tone 4

In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith, / an image of humility and a teacher of abstinence; / your humility exalted you; / your poverty enriched you. / Hierarch Father Theognostus, / entreat Christ our God / that our souls may be saved.

Troparion of St Benedict Tone 1

By thine ascetical struggles, O Godbearing Benedict,/ thou didst prove true to thy name./ For thou wast the son of benediction, and didst become a model and rule/ to all who emulate thy life and cry:/ Glory to Him Who has strengthened thee; glory to Him Who has crowned thee;/ glory to Him Who through thee works healings for all.

Troparion of St Benedict Tone 1

By your ascetic labors, God-bearing Benedict, / you were proven to be true to your name. / For you were the son of benediction, / and became a rule and model for all who emulate your life and cry: / “Glory to Him who gave you strength! / Glory to Him who granted you a crown! / Glory to Him who through you grants healing to all!”

Apolytikion of St Alexander of Pidna Tone 3

You were clothed, with the full armor, of the divine Spirit, through faith, you were distinguished in contest Alexander, and in Pydna you ended your path, having been found worthy of a brilliant martyrdom. Glorious Martyr, entreat Christ God, to grant us the great mercy.

‘I am sweetened in praising your virtues, O Forerunner….

Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.
Synaxarion
On the seventh of January the Synaxis of the Honorable Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John. We gather together also for the translation of his all-honorable hand to Constantinople in 956.
We also commemorate the holy Saint Julian the Deacon, of Aegina (391)
We also commemorate the holy Saint Cedd, Bishop of Lastingham (664)
We also commemorate the holy Saint Feodor I of Russia (Fyodor (Theodore) I Ivanovich), last Rurikid Tsar of Russia (1598)
We also commemorate the holy Saint Pakhomios of Keno Lake (1515)
We also commemorate the holy Saint Brannock of Braunton
We also commemorate the holy new Hieromartyr Romanos of Lacedaemonia, from the town of Diminitzi, witnessed in Byzantium in the year 1695 and died by the sword.
We also commemorate the holy Neomartyr Athanasios, who was from Attaleia, but witnessed in Smyrna in the year 1700.
The Miracle of Saint John the Baptist in Chios (1740)
New Hieromartyr Michael, Priest (1930)

Verses
How shall this tongue of mine now praise you, O Preacher,
Whom Christ’s tongue called greater than all the earth-born?
The famous Forerunner’s memorial is the lot of the seventh.

Saint Eumenios (Saridakis)

One time, Father Sofronios [later Fr. Eumenios (Saridakis)] fell ill there in the Monastery [Holy Monastery of Agios Nikitas located in Achendria, of Archanes Asterousia, in Crete].

As he told us: Some skin was coming off of my body. The Abbot told me, “Go to Athens to be examined”.
They gave me the fare, and I got on the boat to go to Athens.

I was not sitting inside, but outside on the deck. It was night, the weather was bad, the waves were high. I lay down, turned my eyes, and looked at the sky. It was night, cold, very cold.

The Prodromos came, he covered me with a blanket, so that I wouldn’t be cold. He did not speak to me, I did not speak to him.
The Honorable Forerunner! Who came; The Forerunner!
The Prodromos with his hair, with his twisted beard.
He did not tell me anything, I did not tell him anything, only that he covered me so as not to catch a cold.

Finally I arrived in Athens, I went to the doctors, they examined me, but they did not agree with what I have.
Excerpt from the book of the monk Simon, “Father Eumenius, The good shepherd and miracle worker”.

***

‘I am sweetened in praising your virtues, O Forerunner…

I will now tell you a true story that happened to a young monk, who, taking courage in me, confided it to me, very confidentially:

“The Honorable Forerunner, who is depicted in a strict form in the shrine located inside the Katholikon of the Monastery of Dionysiou, in front of the right column, you obviously know him! Every time I talk to him and look him in the face, it seems to me that he is alive. Inside me, I feel like a child talking to his father. When, for the first time, on Monday night, I was reading Compline and the Salutations of the Saint, as I was a sexton and I was standing in front of this Icon of the Honorable Forerunner, with much reverence and love, when I arrived at the words of the Salutations: ‘I am sweetened in praising your virtues, O Forerunner, but I hesitate since I cannot find the words. Grant to me the ability to do this.’ Then – O your wonders, my protector, Honorable Forerunner! – I felt supernatural grace within my heart, and it seemed like the Honorable Forerunner lifted up my entire body, high above the earth, filling my entire being with unspeakable joy and rejoicing.”

***

The late Monk Lazarus Dionysiatis (+ 1974) is well-known for his book Dionysian Narrations in which he records the valuable memories of those Dionysian Fathers of Dionysiou Monastery at Mount Athos.

One of these narrations concerns Elder Bessarion, a blessed brother of Dionysiou Monastery. Fr. Bessarion was from Halkida of Evia. He reposed in the Lord in 1952, at the age of 76. Before his repose he was the Oikonomos of the Metochion of Dionysiou Monastery in Sykia of Halkidiki, known as Kalamitsi. When he sensed his death approaching, after bidding farewell to his acquaintances and friends, he told them very simply that he was “going to the Monastery to die”!

As soon as he landed on the dock of Dionysiou Monastery, from all his heart and soul he thanked the Honorable Forerunner for allowing him to be made worthy of returning to the monastery of his repentance and repay all of his debts to the Lord. Two days later, after bidding farewell to all the brothers and asking their forgiveness, he reposed. This thrice-blessed monk had much fervent humility and faith treasured in his heart.

One day, years before his repose, Elder Lazarus Dionysiatis found the opportunity to ask him of a vision Elder Bessarion had of the Honorable Forerunner:
“I heard, Elder Bessarion, that our Monastery appointed you Oikonomos of her Metochion in Meriana of Halkidiki, and that you saw the Honorable Forerunner, with whom you even conversed. If you remember and if you will, tell me also about this event, as it took place, so I can write it down for the younger ones to learn. How did you see the Honorable Forerunner alive and speak with him?”

Slightly smiling, Elder Bessarion began to speak with his usual simplicity:
“That which you speak of took place two years ago (1928); listen since you want to know about it. You worked at the mill, and know that many times many people would gather at the mill. So one day two villagers came to the bazaars and one bought the mare of the other.

The one who purchased it, went to the church to venerate (Fr. Bessarion was then serving at the Athonite Metochion of Dionysiou Monastery in Sykia of Halkidiki). He also left before the icon of the Honorable Forerunner some money and he told me to light a candle. I lit the candle, and seeing there was plenty of money, I didn’t take it, but left it in front of the icon. At night I went to light the lamps and I saw the money was missing. You cannot know how much grief came over me. Temptation hardened me also, and just as we are speaking, I went before the icon of the Saint and said:
‘Holy Forerunner, are you not here? Why did you allow the money in front of your icon to be taken? Ugh, I’m not lighting your lamp.’

Therefore, Elder Lazarus, I only lit the lamp of the Panagia and left. However, within me my heart was slightly beating. I went to the mill, then up to the house, ate a little bread, but I was confused. I remembered that the light of the Saint was extinguished, but the kotsonouris [the devil] would not leave me alone, he hardened me very much. I said to myself: ‘Let’s see what happens. I’m not lighting the lamp tonight.’

So I fell asleep, my brother, with the confusion I had, but I persisted in my opinion. It happened to be a full moon, the moon was like the sun and its light entered my cell through the window.

As I was sleeping by myself, because I didn’t have another resident at the time, at around midnight I felt a nudge. I woke up and saw a giant in front of me with disheveled hair. From my fear I began to tremble, and as soon as I was able to speak I said:
‘How did you come here?’
In his response to me, he said in a serious tone:
‘Do not ask how I came, but tell me why you don’t light my lamp?’

And immediately with much fear, a trembling voice, and with tears in my eyes, I said:
‘Forgive me, Saint. I did wrong.’
I then gave him three prostrations while crying at his feet begging him to forgive me.”

As Elder Bessarion was telling me this, out of reverence he began to cry in front of me. When this passed, he continued:
“I then heard, my brother, the Honorable Forerunner, with a sweet and calm voice say to me:
‘My child Bessarion, it is as if I’m not here. And if I am not here, then who has been guarding you all these years in this wilderness from robbers and other evil things?’

(Again, Elder Bessarion began to weep due to his emotion and reverence for the Honorable Forerunner.)
‘My Saint, I beg you to forgive me. I will not do it again.’
‘Go and light the lamp at my icon, and preach to the others that the icons are miraculous, because many here have begun to say that icons are not miraculous.’

He said these things to me and disappeared. At that moment I went to the church and – O the wonder! – I saw all the money in the same place, as they were, in front of the icon of the Saint. Who knows what pushed the thief to bring that same night the money to the icon.”

Finally I asked him:
“What clothes was the Honorable Forerunner wearing?”
“Here, he was just as you see him in the icon with the sheep. But such a tall person I have never seen in my life. What can I say to you! A huge man, a giant.”
“I believe you, because Christ says in the Gospel, ‘I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist.’ The Lord said this first because of the multitude of his virtues and his great holiness. But it also applied to his physique, for the words of the Lord include both.”
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

***

The Miraculous Deliverance

To strugglers who are purified and sanctified by monastic asceticism, God gives wonderful gifts, great signs of His love.
Fr. Isaac (+ 1932) of Dionysiou Monastery was not lacking in these gifts of the living presence of God, as is revealed to us by many marvellous incidents from his life.

When he was still a young man, he served as cellarer (keeper of the food supplies) in the Monastery’s house in Karyes. He lived together with the representative of the of the Monastery, Elder Gelasios, who came from Lakonia. One winter day – it was the month of February – some urgent matter came up, and it was absolutely necessary for Fr. Gelasios to contact the Monastery. In those days there were no telephones or other means of communication. Therefore it was necessary for someone to travel to the Monastery on foot, in spite of the hazardous weather. Elder Gelasios called his disciple, Fr. Isaac, and sent him to the Monastery with some letters. Fr. Isaac made a prostration, took his staff and mailbag and set out on the journey.

The road over the mountain from Karyes to Dionysiou is a panoramic wonder. The footpath passes through wild vegetation and dense, high chestnut forests. As a rule, the journey takes five hours.

The good disciple willingly set out on his obedience, even though the sky was darkening, and he could see a snowstorm was threatening – one of those that often scourges Mount Athos. In about fifteen minutes he had reached the “Cross”, the summit of the mountain. Quickly he took the footpath, which from the mountain-ridge leads to the road of the Monastery. Then he encountered his enemy, the snow. He had set out from Karyes at about 1:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. Byzantine time*). At 3:00 p.m. he had reached the boundary of Simonopetra at the cold spring called “Bousdoum”. Up to this point, he could still make out the path. Now, however, everything had become covered with snow. He strove by every means to make out his direction. Calling on the sweet name of Jesus, he continued walking until he could no longer move his feet in the snow.

The storm had broken out with force, and the swirling snow beat on him from every side. Unable to go forward, he stood still. He tried to take a few steps, but it was in vain – he only worked himself further into the snow-drifts. The road was lost, the cold severe, the thick-falling snow continued to mount around him. He could not hope for human help or of any kind of shelter. Time was passing, and the dark was closing in. There was no salvation anywhere. Little by little, the snow would completely cover hm, and this night would be his last.

When all hope seemed lost, Fr. Isaac raised his hands and eyes, and with warm, undoubting faith cried: “O Lord Jesus Christ, O God, by the prayers of my Elder save me in this hour! O Holy Forerunner, grant me to reach the Monastery in good health!”

And lo! The words of the Prophet Isaiah came to pass: “Yet I am near thee when thou speakest.” At that instant, some invisible force seized him and, in a twinkling of an eye, deposited him outside the Monastery, in front of the shrine by the gate!
It was about 4:30 p.m. (10:30 p.m. Byzantine time). The fathers had just risen from the table. The gatekeeper was preparing to close the Monastery gate when he was startled by seeing Fr. Isaac before him.

“Where did you come from, Abba? How did you manage to get through such a storm?” he asked.

The gatekeeper’s perplexity increased as he looked for footsteps on the path from Karyes, and saw absolutely none. His surprise was shared by the other fathers. They all asked what had happened. Fr. Isaac, not wanting to reveal the miracle, only gave them a few token explanations. “With the help of the Holy Forerunner,” he said, pointing to his icon, “I completed my obedience safely.”

Some time passed, and the miraculous incident of the aerial transport of Fr. Isaac was revealed for the glory of God by his spiritual father, to whom the Abba had told everything exactly.
We encounter similar miracles of instantaneous transportation from place to place in various Lives of Saints. It is one manifestation among many others of a grace-filled life and the Lord’s special favor.

* According to the Byzantine time reckoning which prevails on the Holy Mountain, the day begins at sunset. When the sun goes behind the peak of Athos, the clocks are set to 12:00.
From Contemporary Ascetics of Mount Athos (vol. 1) by Archimandrite Cherubim, pp. 353-355.

***

Saint Paisios the Athonite

Saint Paisios lived for a period of time at the Hermitage of the Archangels, which belonged to the Iveron Monastery Skete. At some point, he had a desire to move a short distance away from his Hermitage, to a more remote area where he would have greater stillness. He was able to do so through the intervention of Saint John the Baptist. This is how Saint Paisios himself describes the miraculous appearance of the Honorable Forerunner:
Whenever I would gaze out on the ravine, I was filled with longing and a Divine love. My heart leapt at the thought of staying there so I could have even greater silence and prayer. I went to one of the directors of the monastery of Iveron to ask for a blessing to build a hut there. He started yelling, “What do you so-called ascetics think you are doing?” and so on … But that night the Holy Forerunner [who is the protector of the Skete of Iveron] appeared to him and started to hit him (because of how he had reacted). When he awoke, he was frightened and went down to the church. He could not calm down. He kept asking the fathers to interrupt the service and hold a meeting so he could tell them what had happened. They said, “We cannot interrupt the service—be patient and wait until it is finished.” After the conclusion of the service, they gathered, and he told everyone what had happened to him. In following, the monk not only gave me a blessing to build a hut—he even sent building supplies to me with some mules.

***

In the old days, young women would sacrifice every­thing to keep their chastity! I remember, during the war against Italy, they had drafted some villagers and their animals, and they got trapped on a hill by heavy snowfall. The men gathered under the snow, covered spruce trees and made some shelters using spruce branches to protect themselves. The women were forced to seek protection from their fellow villagers, people they knew.

Two of them, one young, one elderly, from a faraway village, had to enter one of these shelters. Now, unfortunately, there are those faithless cowards for whom even a war will not make a difference. They have no feelings whatsoever for their fellow human being, who may die or get injured; if they get the chance, they will do their best to sin, because they are afraid that they may get killed and try to use all the time they have to have fun. When in danger, people should repent.

One of these men, who had sin rather than repentance in his mind, was harassing the young woman so much that she was forced to leave the group. She preferred to freeze to death from the cold rather than lose her chastity. When the elderly woman saw that her young companion had left the shelter, she followed her tracks and found her, thirty minutes away, under a small shed, in a Chap­el dedicated to Saint John the Forerunner.

You see how Saint John the Baptist cared about this honest woman and led her to his Chapel which she never knew it existed! And guess what else the Saint did! He appeared to a soldier (10) in his sleep and told him to go to his Chapel as soon as possible.

So the soldier got up in the middle of the snow-lit night and headed to the Chapel; he had a rough idea where it was. When he got there, he saw the two women stuck in the snow up to their knees, blue in the face and frozen from the cold. He immediately opened the Chapel and they all entered and felt better. The soldier had noth­ing else to offer them, besides a scarf for the old lady and a pair of gloves which he told them to share, so that they could warm first one hand and then the other.

They then told him about the temptation they had confronted. “Why,” the soldier asked the young woman, “did you decide to leave in the middle of the night, with all this snow and head to an unknown place?” And she replied, “I did all that I could do for my part, and I was convinced that Christ would take care of the rest.” Feeling their pain and trying to console them, the soldier said spon­taneously, “Your troubles are over, tomorrow you will be home.” These words made them happy and they felt even warmer. Sure enough, the Battalion of Mountain Transports opened the road and, in the morning, military trucks came, and the poor women were taken home.

It is Greek women like them, vested in divine Grace – rather than stripped of clothes and divine Grace alike – who de­serve our praise and admiration. Later, that beast – may God forgive me for this word – told the Commander that a certain soldier had broken the Chapel’s door and put mules inside! The Commander replied, “I don’t believe the man you accuse would do such a thing.” In the end, he was sent to prison.

(10) This soldier was in fact Elder Paisios himself. The incident took place during the Guerilla War when the Elder was doing his military service.
(Saint Paisios of Mount Athos : Spiritual Counsels With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man”, Part 3, Chapter 3, p. 258-283, Holy Monastery “Evangelist John the Theologian”, Souroti, Thessaloniki, Greece 2006)

***

Saint John the Forerunner and the Paralyzed Sexton
By Fr. Stephanos K. Anagnostopoulos

Once, there lived a sacristan (Gr. neokoros), who had very much reverence, much piety, and much fear of God. He was from those that we want to be keepers and helpers in church. The church he served in was built in honor of the Honorable Forerunner. The sacristan would ring the church bells — there were three or four bells — and he would ring them with his two hands. However, he had suffered some trauma to his left hand and he couldn’t ring the bells with just one hand. Because of this he was very distressed. The great feast day came and he couldn’t ring them sweetly, rhythmically, normally, but first the one, then the other.

What else could he do? He went before the icon of the Honorable Forerunner and said to him:
“Listen to me, O Saint! This is your church, you see my hand; I can’t do it with just one hand. Well, come here.”
He took him by the hand — and the Honorable Forerunner descended from his icon! — and took him outside to the bell tower.
“Now show me, how I should ring the bells!”

The Honorable Forerunner therefore made slip knots with the cords and placed one on one foot, one on the other, and one on his hand, and the other one on his elbow. And he showed him how to ring the bells in a fervent manner.

“Thank you very much!” the sacristan said to the Saint.
And he rang the bells as he was shown by the Honorable Forerunner.
From Experiences During the Divine Liturgy.

St. John the Baptist was the voice crying in the two-fold wilderness: in the wilderness of Jordan and in the human wilderness. Lord, Heavenly King, to Whom the heavenly hosts worship day and night, look down once again upon our nothingness and because of Your humiliation and passion for us, save us.
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2023/01/06/st-john-the-baptist-was-the-voice-crying-in-the-two-fold-wilderness-in-the-wilderness-of-jordan-and-in-the-human-wilderness-lord-heavenly-king-to-whom-the-heavenly-hosts-worship-day-and-night-lo/

The right hand of St. John the Baptist
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/21234/

“I am John the Baptist, for this narrow cave is greater than Mount Sinai.”
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/i-am-john-the-baptist-for-this-narrow-cave-is-greater-than-mount-sinai/

St. John the Baptist is the friend of the bridegroom. Anthony (Bloom) Metropolitan of Sourozh
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/st-john-the-baptist-is-the-friend-of-the-bridegroom-anthony-bloom-metropolitan-of-sourozh/

Saint John, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord was the voice crying in the human wilderness.
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/saint-john-forerunner-and-baptist-of-the-lord-was-the-voice-crying-in-the-human-wilderness/

Apolytikion of St. John the Forerunner in the Second Tone

The memory of the just is observed with hymns of praise; for you however suffices the testimony of the Lord, O Forerunner. You have proved to be truly more venʹrable than the Prophets, since you were granted to baptize in the river the One whom they proclaimed. Therefore, when for the truth you had contested, rejoicing, to those in Hades you preached the Gospel, that God was manifested in the flesh, and takes away the sin of the world, and grants to us the great mercy.

Apolytikion of Synaxis of John the Forerunner
Second Tone

The memory of the just is celebrated with hymns of praise, but the Lord’s testimony is enough for thee, O Forerunner, for thou wast shown to be more wonderful than the Prophets, since thou wast granted to baptize in the running waters Him whom thou didst proclaim. Then having endured great suffering for the Truth, thou didst rejoice to bring, even to those in hades, the good tidings that God Who had appeared in the flesh takes away the sin of the world, and grants us the great mercy.

Kontakion of Synaxis of John the Forerunner
Plagal of the First Tone

The Jordan accepted Your presence in the flesh and reversed its course in fear. John, fulfilling the spiritual ministry, fell back in awe. The ranks of Angels, seeing You in the flesh, baptized in the river, were amazed, and all who were in darkness were filled with light, praising You who appeared and enlightened all.

the Stichera, In Tone VIII:
Spec. Mel.: O most glorious wonder.

O blessed John the Forerunner, * sincere friend of the Lord, * who in the waters of the Jordan * touched with thy hand His all-purest crown, * by thy holy intercessions * do thou always with love elevate my humble soul to the Lord, * extinguishing the fire of things that feed my passions, * and leading me to the faithful execution of the divine commandments * truly cleansing the senses of my heart, * that I may glorify thee.

Glory …, In Tone IV:

Today appeared the great Forerunner, * who came forth from the barren womb of Elizabeth, * a Prophet, indeed the greatest of all the Prophets, * for there was no greater before, nor hath one arisen since. * The lamp that preceded the most resplendent Light, * that followed after the voice the Word, * the Bridegroom’s harbinger. * He prepared the multitudes of the peoples for the Lord, * cleansing them with water in preparation for the cleansing of the Spirit; * Zacharia’s offspring and a good pupil of wilderness living, * the preacher of repentance and cleansing of transgressions, * announcing unto those in Hades * the resurrection from the dead and ever interceding for our souls.

Stichera, In Tone VIII:
Spec. Mel.: O most glorious wonder.

O blessed John the Forerunner, * sincere friend of the Lord, * who in the waters of the Jordan * touched with thy hand His all-purest crown, * by thy holy intercessions * do thou always with love elevate my humble soul to the Lord, * extinguishing the fire of things that feed my passions, * and leading me to the faithful execution of the divine commandments * truly cleansing the senses of my heart, * that I may glorify thee.

O thou, offspring of barrenness * and the Lord’s garden of purity, * ornament of all mankind, * Baptiser of the Lord, * all-praised John the Forerunner, * divine guardian of my humble soul, * do thou vouchsafe unto me God’s grace through thine intercessions, * delivering me from the serpent, * and his crafty and wily slanders and attacks.

Thou art the most compassionate of all mankind, * full of divine grace, * O ever-glorious Prophet, * making glad all those who come unto thee in faith, * sweetening our senses of both soul and body, * and effacing from us the bitterness of maladies and afflictions, * of attacks from the evil one, * and of all the soul destroying passions.

Gospel According to John 1:29-34

At that time, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness, “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

“Here you are. I have come from Athos, according to your wish, completely exhausted and my feet cut with the stones.” Saint Anthimos the Fool for Christ, the Athonite, By Saint Paisios the Athonite

Synaxarion
On December 9 we celebrate Saint Anna’s Conception of the most-holy Theotokos.
On this day we also commemorate the holy Prophetess Hannah, mother of Samuel the Prophet.
On this day we also commemorate our devout father Stephen the newly appeared, who lies in the church of Saint Antipas.
On this day we also commemorate the holy Martyrs Sositheus, Narses, and Isaac of Persia, who died by the sword.
The holy Virgin Martyr Leocadia of Toledo in Spain.
Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, the Synaxis of whose Icon called Unexpected Joy we celebrate.
On this day we also commemorate our devout father Anthimos the Fool for Christ, the Athonite (1867)
On this day we also commemorate the holy New Hieromartyr Vladimir (Vinogradov) priest (1919).
On this day we also commemorate the holy New Hieromartyrs Vladimir ( Dzhurinsky) priest and Virgin-martyr Ephrosia ( Dzhurinsky) (1920), Nicholas Zamaraev, John Vinogradov, George Kolokolov, Nazarius Gribkov, Basil Agafonikov, Basil Kolosov, Elijah Zachatesky, Basil Studnitsyn, Daniel Meshaninov, and Michael Zelentsovsky,Tikhon (Buzov), Archimandrite, of Donskoy Monastery, Moscow (1937), Peter Tsarapkin (after 1937)

Hieromonk Anthimos the Fool for Christ (1867)
By Saint Paisios the Athonite

Father Anthimos (+ December 9, 1867) was from Sofia in Bulgaria, where he was a married parish priest. After the death of his wife, in about 1841, he came to the Garden of the Mother of God and took root like a good plant, as we shall see below, blossoming with a sweet fragrance.

His first place of repentance was in the Holy Monastery of Simonos Petra, where he was tonsured a monk. Afterwards, he began to act as a fool for Christ, in order to hide the inner wealth of his spiritual experience. He made the whole of Athos his place of repentance; he continually travelled about in the desert, sometimes staying in caves and at other times in the hollows of trees. Now and again, he would also appear at the Russian Monastery of Saint Panteleimon, because he could understand the services which were in Russian. He usually hid in the narthex and followed the service from there. Whenever he saw one of the fathers watching him and regarding him with reverence, he would start behaving stupidly, talking to himself or making jokes, and so he would spoil their thoughts. He would stay at the monastery for varying lengths of time, sometimes a few days, sometimes a little longer. Then he would disappear again into the mountain of Athos entirely alone for two or three months, before making his appearance again at the Russian Monastery of Saint Panteleimon.

At the beginning of his divine madness, he wore an old habit for five years, and later patched up garments. Later still, he ended up wearing an old sack in which he had made three holes, one at the top to put his head through and two more for his arms. He appeared in it everywhere. It was for this reason he was known as “Sacky”. When he returned to the forest, however, he took off his sack as a precaution against tearing it, and instead he tore his body on the twigs. Those who had no spiritual depth, but only judged from external appearance, called him “Dotty”. But Father Anthimos amazed them when he would tell them their innermost thoughts. This way, he spiritually benefited those with good intentions, revealing their innermost thoughts to them.

You notice about fools for Christ that because they have such great humbleness, they also have great purity, that is spiritual clarity, so that they know the hearts of men and even the mysteries of God. Such a man was Father Anthimos, who had covered his own pure heart with an old sack.

Whenever he went to the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon, he wouldn’t go in but stayed with the monastery workers and sat and ate with them in the same refectory. It seems that the abbot of the monastery got word of this and asked the monk on duty to take care of the ascetic, Father Anthimos. From then on, the monk who was assigned to take care of the worker’s refectory held him in great reverence, helped him and watched over him. In this way, he acquired greater confidence and was able to understand some of Father Anthimos’ hidden virtues.

One of his great virtues was the gift he had in the matter of fasting: he could fast for days on end! He went once to the Russian monastery before the Fast of the Holy Apostles utterly exhausted. The monk on duty received him with great joy and prepared something for him to eat. The elder began to eat, while the monk who was waiting at table went in and out. He looked at the elder, who was munching away all the time, and thought badly of him: “Such a withered up and weak monk and yet he can eat so much!” All upset with these thoughts of condemnation, the monk went to his cell. When Father Anthimos had finished his food, he went and sat at the door of the monk’s cell. Seeing his friend troubled by these thoughts, he took pity on him. In order to help him, he was forced to tell him why he had eaten so much, so that he would be more careful about judging other people. We can also learn from this and avoid judging people. Taking him by the hand, he asked him:
“Brother, do you perhaps know what humbleness is?”
The brother felt constrained to answer: “No, I don’t.”
Then the elder said to him: “Humbleness consists in this – not judging anybody and thinking yourself worse than everybody. See, just now you were deceived and judged because I was eating so much. But what you don’t know is how many days I have gone without eating at all. Do you remember the last time I was here and had something to eat?”
The brother replied: “I remember, father. You were here with us on Sunday of Thomas and you ate. But I havn’t seen you since.”
The elder said to him: “Well, now you see how many days I spent without eating.[1] Yet, you were judging me because I was eating so much. My brother, not all God’s gifts are the same. Everyone is given something by God. Well, to me God has given the strength to bear cold and hunger. Do you think you could put up with so much? Are you able to humble yourself, take off the habit and come with me to the next monastery, and then spend the winter at the peak of Athos with only those clothes? You, being a chanter, how do you chant to god? Your mind is elsewhere, on distractions, rather than on God. Just you listen to how I chant.”

Father Anthimos raised his hands to the heavens and with heaving sobs chanted Alleluia, tears streaming from his eyes. The monk assigned to the refectory was astonished and felt great contrition. The elder then said to him:
“So you see, my brother, don’t judge anyone, because you don’t know who has been given what gift. You must pay more attention to your own self.”

The brother made a prostration to the elder and asked his forgiveness, admiring the latter’s spiritual foresight. From then on, Elder Anthimos began to confide in him more of his personal life.
There was once a brother who was fooled by Father Anthimos’ pretences and said to himself: “What kind of gifted person is this? Do all people with the gift of foresight eat as much?” The elder read his thoughts, called him over and said to him:
“Brother, you want to be a monk, and yet your thoughts are always running back to Russia. Well, go there and fulfill your wish, but you will be back here again later, and then you will be deemed worthy of becoming a monk.”

The words of the elder were fulfilled with great precision. Indeed, this brother was deceived by his thoughts, left the monastery and returned to Russia. A year later, however, he came back to the Holy Mountain and was tonsured a monk in the same monastery.

The monk assigned to the refectory held Father Anthimos in great respect – he considered him a saint – but was afraid to express his admiration, well aware that he didn’t like being praised. Once, when the elder came again, the monk was overjoyed and prepared something for him to eat, though he himself, out of respect, didn’t want to sit with him. He started bustling about the refectory in order to escape from the elder’s attention. When he had finished his food, the elder got up from the table and said:
“All right, all right! Stop! May God have mercy on you and support you.”

One of the Russian hieromonks told this brother how he was once overwhelmed by nostalgia for his homeland and, one day, he had been thinking about leaving the Holy Mountain to go back to Russia. While he was thinking, Father Anthimos suddenly came into his cell out of nowhere and said:
“Father, the Mother of God sent me to tell you not to go to Russia, because if you leave the desert for the world, you will fall into sin.”

At one point, Father Anthimos lived in quietude on the heights of Athos for a long time. The monk assigned to the refectory was very worried and prayed to god to inform the elder to come to the monastery to bring him spiritual benefit. He was also thinking: “He must be worn out by his labors in the desert and if he were here, I could look after him with a little food, or make him some tea.”
The next morning the elder came to the monastery and said jokingly to his friend:
“Here you are. I have come from Athos, according to your wish, completely exhausted and my feet cut with the stones. Is your tea worth all the effort!”

The brother saw the elder’s foresight and asked his forgiveness for the trouble he had caused him.

On another occasion, the same brother felt deep sorrow and listlessness and prayed to God to send him his friend, Father Anthimos, to comfort him. No more than a few hours later, Father Anthimos appeared before him. On seeing him, the grieving brother was overjoyed and asked him:
“How is it, father, that you came in the hour of my need?”
The elder smiled and answered:
“You wanted to see me and asked God, so I came.”

Another time, at the Russian Monastery of Saint Panteleimon, on the eve of October 1, when there is an all-night vigil for the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God, Father Anthimos arrived at the monastery, nearly dead. When he met his friend, he said:
“Tonight I was not far from the Monastery of Zographou, praying in the desert, standing on a rock. As I was praying, i saw the Mother of God descending on your monastery. I was filled with joy at this vision and set off in a hurry to meet Her here so She could cover me, the sinner, with Her veil, as well as Her servants honoring Her. I had just started running here from that place, when suddenly a snake appeared. It struck at me angrily and gave me a terrible bite in the leg. I realized that the bite was from the envy of the evil one and paid no attention to the hindrance because I was in a hurry to get to your monastery.”

The brother looked at the elder’s leg, and the wound from the bite really was a serious one. The elder’s great love for God had made him insensitive to bodily afflictions.

The winter of 1862 on Athos was very cold with a lot of snow. At that time, Father Anthimos was up on the heights of Athos, deep in the desert, living in the hollow of a tree. A lot of snow fell and he was completely cut off, so that it was impossible for him to come out of there. Forty-six days he spent there without bread. Almost always, he would be closer to the monastery before winter set in. The elders of the Russian monastery learned that in that freezing and snowy winter Father Anthimos was not nearby and began to worry about him. At the end of forty-six days, Father Anthimos arrived at the monastery utterly exhausted and numb with cold. When the brother saw him, he cried aloud in joy:
“Ah, father, is that you? We had given up hope of ever seeing you again. Where have you been all this time?”
“Well, I was living in the hollow of a tree,” answered the elder with a smile.
“What did you have to eat there father?” asked the brother.
“Victor, my brother, God alone knows what I suffered from the demons and the freezing cold. But Saint John the Baptist appeared and saved me from death.”

Once, Elder Anthimos had not been at the Russian monastery for five months. The monks didn’t know why. They were worried and many different thoughts occurred to them: “Maybe somebody has offended him” and so on. The spiritual father of the monastery knew a hermit in whom Anthimos had confidence and asked him to find out the reason. The hermit asked Father Anthimos, who replied:
“As long as they praise me there and honor me as a saint, I am not going back... The last time I was there, one of the hieromonks fell at my feet and said: ‘Pray for me, holy father, sinner that I am, that I may be saved through your prayers…’ You see? How can I go there when they treat me like a saint?”

After that, Father Anthimos would go the monastery almost by stealth and confided in Father Victor some of the secrets of his life during the course of their conversations.

Another time, when he was visiting the monastery and Father Victor was setting the table for him, the elder said to him:
“Saint John the Merciful visited your monastery yesterday.”

That day was Sunday, and, according to custom, hermits, skete-dwellers, and several lay people came and ate in the refectory and were then given a blessing.

Father Anthimos had no fixed abode, but rather the whole of Athos was his to dwell in. In the last years of his life, he lived close to the Bulgarian Monastery of Zographou, and often helped with the building work and repairs – carrying stones and water.[2]

In August 1867, the great ascetic visited his beloved Russian Monastery of Saint Panteleimon for the last time. He went into the monastery and straight to the guesthouse. There he met his friend, Father Victor, and spoke with him at length, instructing him on how to defeat evil thoughts and the passions. Finally, he said to him outright:
“I will not be coming here any more now, because I am going to die soon.”

Indeed, that’s what happened. At the end of November in the same year, he went to the Monastery of Zographou and fell ill. They put him in the monastery infirmary, where he remained for twelve days.

On December 9, 1867, Father Anthimos left the Garden of the Mother of God where he struggled with great philotimo and rested in the Lord. His blessing be upon us. Amen.

(Note: The biography of Righteous Father Anthimos was published in the book Modern Athonite Ascetics, 9th ed., Moscow 1900, pp. 31-40. I have abbreviated it somewhat, without changing what Hieromonk Arsenios wrote. I did it with the best of intentions, lest some things concerning the righteous father were open to misinterpretation.)
1. In other words, he had not eaten from Sunday of Thomas until the beginning of the Fast of the holy Apostles, about 7 weeks!
2. This would have been work on the new buildings on the north side, completed in 1865.
From the book Athonite Fathers and Athonite Matters.

Apolytikion of ST ANNA
— Tone 4

Today the bonds of barrenness are loosed; for God listened to Joachim and Anna. He promised them – although it was beyond hope – that they should bear a divine child. From this child was born incarnate the Infinite God, Who told the Angel to cry to her: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Kontakion. From Menaion 
Mode 4. You appeared today.

On this day the whole wide world is celebrating that Saint Anne conceived a child, which was a miracle of God. And she gave birth to the one who bore the divine Logos, in ways passing speech and thought.

Exaposteilarion. For the Consecration. From Menaion 
Mode 3. The Elder in the Temple.

In the Spirit renovate * this very wonderful, divine, * all-honored Church, O Logos, * which You redeemed with Your pure blood, * O Good One, and adorn it * with the rays of light divine, * as You glorify with glory * those who worthily perform * this church building’s consecration, * dedicating it to You. [SD]

For St. Anna. From Menaion
Ἦχος γʹ.Mode 3. The Elder in the Temple.

The Lord who is compassionate * answered the soulful prayers * of temperate and sober Anne; * and He gave her a child, * the only virgin who would bear * and ineffably shine forth * the Light to the ends of the world. * When the godly and renowned * Joachim laid eyes on her, * he gazed with great joy and wonder.

Another.Mode 3. Having embellished heaven.

Now the Wisdom of God * is building its very own house * from a barren woman’s womb; * that house is Mary the Theotokos. * And let us, all generations, * dutifully call her blessed. [SD]

My child, to read the Epistle of St. James to be supported, to receive Grace… St. Father Iakovos Tsalikis of Evia

Synaxarion.
On October 23, we commemorate our righteous Father Iakovos (James) Adelphotheos (the Brother of God), and First Bishop of Jerusalem (62 AD)
On this day we commemorate our righteous Father Petronius of Egypt, disciple of St. Pachomius the Great (346)
On this day we commemorate our righteous Father Amon of Toul, Second Bishop of Toul in France, the successor of St Mansuetus (4th century)
On this day we commemorate our righteous Father Verus, third Bishop of Salerno in Italy (4th century)
On this day we commemorate our righteous Father Ignatios of Constantinople, (877-878)
On this day we commemorate our righteous Father Macarius the Roman, of Mesopotamia
On this day we commemorate our righteous Father Nicephorus of Charsianos, Constantinople.
On this day we commemorate our Righteous mother Elisha (Elisæus) of Lauryshava Monastery in Belarus, Igumen (1250)
On this day we commemorate the Translation of the relics of (1544) of Blessed James of Borovichi, Novgorod (1540)
On this day we commemorate the holy New Hieromartyrs : Theodore (Pozdeyevsky), Archbishop of Volokolamsk, Dimitry (Vologda), Macarius (Zvezdov Theodore (Yakovtsevsky) Ilia (Zotikov) Leonid (Oransky Evgeniy (Troitsky ), Hieromonk Filaret (Davydov ), Priest Georgiy (Pronin), Seraphim (Salnikov), Procopius (Stepanov), Deacon George (Khlaptsev), nuns Akilina (Kalchenko) and Ksenia (Peryazeva), John (Batuev), Georgy (Berezovsky), Maxima (Nazemtsev ), Terentia (Nikiforov), Nikolai (Ponomarev), Peter (Pudovikov), Petra (Simonov), (1937), Vasily (Katorgin,1920), Mikhail (Lebedev , 1930)

«My child , to read the Epistle of St. James to be supported, to receive Grace…»
St. Father Iakovos Tsalikis of Evi

Always pray for the people

[St. James the Just, Jesus’s brothers the son of Joseph] was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people.’’
Eusebius, Church History, 2.23.6

***

St James is called the “Brother of the Lord”. He was one of 4 sons of Joseph from a previous marriage, all of which are named in scripture[2]. He is given this title because, as the Prologue[3] explains:
“When Joseph was dying, he shared out his goods among his sons and wanted to leave a share to the Lord Jesus, the Son of the most holy Virgin Mary, but his sons opposed this, not reckoning Jesus to be a brother of theirs. James, though, loved Jesus greatly and announced that he would include Him in his share, counting himself to be indeed brother to the Lord.”

***

Saint Paisios the Athonite
ON Divine justice

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:20)

I always wondered how someone could become a saint and what was the distinctive trait, which made the saints receptive to God’s grace. One day, I went to Father Paisios and asked him:
– Elder, what do saints have that makes them different from the rest of us and thus they receive the grace of God?
– Our saints had divine justice instead of human justice, he replied.
What is divine justice? I asked him once again.

He answered by telling me some charming stories:
– Suppose, two men are sitting at the table to eat. In front of them, there is a plate with ten peaches. If one of them greedily eats seven peaches leaving three for his friend, he is being unfair to him. This is injustice.
Instead, if he says: “Well, we are two and the peaches are ten. So, each one of us is entitled to eat five peaches.” If he eats the five peaches and leaves the other five for his friend, then he applies human justice. That is why, many times, we go to court to find human justice.
However, if he understands that his friend likes peaches very much, he can pretend that he is not very fond of them and eat only one, and then says to him: “please eat the rest of the peaches, as I don’t really like them; besides, my stomach aches and I should not eat any more.” This person has divine justice; he prefers to be unfair to himself by human standards and be rewarded for his sacrifice by God’s grace, which he will abundantly receive.
I will tell you another story, so you can have a better understanding. If someone tells me: “Father, you must leave your cell because it belongs to me. Go down and stay by the cypress tree (which is located in the garden of the cell).” If I have divine justice, I will gladly accept it, thank him for his offer and be satisfied, because he allowed me to have my cypress tree back. However, if I acted according to human justice, because this is what I wish to apply to my life, I would reject his offer and start arguing with him, and eventually end up in court.

The true Christian must never condemn, or press charges against his fellow men, even if someone takes by force his clothes. There is a difference between those people who believe in Christ and those who do not. Christians abide by the law of divine justice whereas the unfaithful ones by the law of human justice.

Human justice is zero compared to divine justice. Our Lord was the first one to apply divine justice. Neither did He find excuses for Himself when He was being accused, nor protested when people spat on Him, or threatened when He was suffering. He patiently and silently endured everything, without reacting in the least. He even let them tear His clothes off; thus God was ridiculed for standing naked in the presence of His own creations. The most important thing was that He did not only seek help from human justice, but, instead, He justified His persecutors and prayed to His Father to forgive them. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Lk 23:34).
Unfortunately, we do not follow the example of God and never cease to condemn others in order, for example, to take back the money they owe us, sometimes demanding also its interest. Consequently, what appears at first like justice turns out to be the beginning of an injustice. 

Some people say that we should not let others, especially Christians, usurp our property, for it is our forebearance that makes them act unjustly. This is a wiseless excuse indicating that we love our material belongings more than our souls. When we neglect our prayer and spiritual work, and instead take to court the people who treat us unjustly, we obviously consider our material possessions more valuable than the salvation of our soul, as the command of the Gospel that says “And of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again,” (Lk 6:30) if, according to Apostle Paul, we cannot gladly tolerate the looting or stealing of our possessions, bearing in mind that the pressing of charges and return of our belongings will not erase the sin off the greedy robber.

Hence, it is good for us to endure the rudeness of those who wrong us, and pray for them to be released from greediness through repentance. We shouldn’t be asking to get back whatever has been taken away from us. God’s justice aims at man himself and hopes that the greedy person will return to Christ, free from sin. God’s justice has no interest in material possessions themselves.

When someone wavers between human and divine justice, he resembles the one who sometimes worships God and other times the idols.
Divine justice is against human law. Human law is inflexibly equal to all, for it never deviates, but attributes justice to everyone, by putting more emphasis on its regulations than on each individual person. However, divine justice at times deviates and is sympathetically granted to all; it doesn’t mistreat people who deserve punishment, while it plentifully rewards the praiseworthy ones.

So, divine justice and charity is an expression of God’s sympathy towards humanity, whereas human justice and fair judgment tend to be an expression of ill-will. Human justice exists to bar the evildoings of malicious people. Just as dry weed cannot grow where there is a fire burning, divine justice cannot co-exist with impartial judgment. The person who has trust in divine justice is neither upset when treated unfairly, nor seeks his justice; on the contrary, he accepts the false accusations as if they were true, and does not try to convince others that he has been slandered; instead he asks to be forgiven.
Some of our saints called themselves intemperate, without of course being so, because they hoped and trusted in divine justice. Others endured the accusation of adultery, a sin they detested, and undertook the task of bearing its consequences. They tolerated it because they firmly believed in divine justice; that is, even if they were treated unjustly from a human point of view, they hoped divine justice, which neither makes mistakes, nor forgets, would divinely act at the right time.

Justice is like a cork; no matter how hard we press it to the bottom of the sea, it will always come back to the surface. Therefore, we should endure with pleasure any kind of injustice done to us for the sake of Christ. He urged us to always seek God’s justice and “all these things shall be yours as well” (Mt 6:33). When we apply divine justice to our lives, we will always be justified.

I will tell you an incident, which is indicative of how God rewards those who love, apply and seek divine justice, and therefore prefer to be treated unfairly by human standards.
One day, one of the pilgrims said to me:
– Elder, I constantly read the Book of Psalms and have noticed that the psalms of David refer to two categories of people; the righteous people whom God will reward: “The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like the cedar in Lebanon” (Ps 92:12), “For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteous deeds…”(Ps 11:7), “for the Lord knows the way of the righteous…”(Ps 1:6), “Rejoice in the Lord, oh righteous! Praise befits the upright” (Ps 33:1), “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of their troubles” (Ps 34:17), “For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered for ever. He is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord” (Ps 112; 6-7), “…Lord loves the righteous…the way of the wicked he brings to ruin” (Ps 146: 8-9); and the unjust ones for whom He foresees evil in their lives: “for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Ps 1:6), “The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and his soul hates him that loves violence” (Ps 11:6), “As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before fire, let the wicked perish before God! But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God!” (Ps 68:2-3).

– I had a personal experience of this myself, the pilgrim went on, and I would like to tell you the story:
I come from a poor family; my father owned 5-6 pieces of land, which he cultivated to earn our daily living. One day, my father suddenly passed away and we were left with our mother. My five brothers decided we should sit down and discuss what will become of my father’s inheritance, as he did not have the time to write a will. They started arguing about who was going to inherit the most fertile piece of land.

I, being the youngest one and more withdraw to myself, was just sitting in a corner waiting to see which piece of land they would end up giving me. After each one took his own share, they gave me a piece of land which was sandy, and thus could not be cultivated and was located in a deserted and uninhabitable area.
After some years, I got married and due to financial difficulties, I left for Germany with my wife. With the help of God, I managed to find a job and my family and I lived quite comfortably. We stayed in Germany for twenty years. During these years, I worked hard and was able to expand my business. At one point, we decided to move back to Greece and transfer our business there as well. We had completely forgotten about the piece of land I had inherited from my father, but apparently God hadn’t. While we were away in Germany, many hotels and tourist complexes had been built on this “deserted and uninhabitable” area resulting in a tremendous increase of its value. My piece of land was greatly sought after and the offers from the interested parties were highly rated. I decided to have an auction for it and its price amounted to several million drachmas. Finally, I sold it to the one who gave me the best offer. Since I earn enough money to live a comfortable life, my family and I wish to give a portion of this money to a charitable cause and I came to seek your advise.

– What are your brothers doing? I asked him.
– They cultivate their lands for a living.
– First, you should financially assist your brothers, so they will not have any complaints against you and the rest you can give wherever you think is best.

The justice of God always reigns, Father Paisios went on. It might delay for a while, but will eventually appear in our lives. The Lord says that our justice must exceed the one of the Pharisees, because they were only aiming at human justice. That is why they were involved in punishments, trials, imprisonments, quarrels, and tried to protect their own rights and could not tolerate the looting of their belongings or any injustice done to them. Christ, however, assured each one of us that “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the men of old (in the old days, the Old Testament law was trying to free man from injustice through human justice, and thus prepare him to accept the divine one)…Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (this is human justice). But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if anyone would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you… For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?…You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:20-48).

Concluding the subject on divine justice, Father Paisios added with a charming discretion:
– A monk must apply divine justice to his life. He can let others take his cell and everything else he owns, if they wish to do so. On the contrary, I don’t believe a family man should apply divine justice and become the reason for the rest of his family members to be upset. They can live according to divine justice, provided they all agree to do so. If you are a monk, you can give your cell to others and wander around by yourself with just your cassock on; in general, it is easier for a monk to endure any kind of injustice or deprivation. When others depend on you, you must always take them into consideration, so they will not end up suffering or being dissatisfied.

***

In June 19…, on St. Paisios day, the Elder asked me to join him at 1:30 a.m. and serve the Divine Liturgy. (We were only the two of us; the Elder did not let anyone else come because he did not wish to give a special meaning to his name day.) When the service was over, we sat to have a sweet. As he was treating me to sweets, he began talking about divine justice.
He said that God does not listen to our prayers, because we are not righteous people and treat our fellow men unjustly; our all night prayers are in vain and God will not listen to us, unless we correct ourselves. Each one of us looks after himself and ignores the others. So, God cannot look after us. If we acquire divine justice, ignore ourselves, and love God and our fellow men, then God will take care of us and will see that we have everything.
When I was in the army fighting the war and the enemies were attacking us with no mercy, I sought protection inside a basin. Some minutes later, one of the soldiers asked me:
– Arsenios, can I also get in the basin with you as I am also in danger.
I told him to get in. However, the basin was too small and could not fit both of us. When he got in, he took up all the space in order to avoid the bullets and pushed me aside. Then, another soldier came and asked if he could also get inside. I said yes, and went out being totally exposed to the flying bullets. Suddenly, a bullet passed so close by me that it stripped off some of my hair; fortunately, it did not injure my skull at all. You see, when you cannot protect yourself, God does.
Priestmonk Christodoulos (1998) “Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain” Holy Mountain.

Epistle of James
http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/new-testament/james/default.asp

Holy Apostle James, Brother of God, Troparion, Tone II —

As a disciple of the Lord thou didst receive the Gospel, O just one;/ as a martyr thou dost possess what is infinite;/ as the brother of God, thou hast boldness before Him;/ and as a hierarch, thou canst make entreaty.// Beseech Christ God, that our souls be saved.

Kontakion, Tone IV “Having been lifted up” —

The Word of God, the Only-begotten of the Father,/ Who came unto us in latter times,/ showed thee to be the first pastor and teacher of the people of Jerusalem,/ and a faithful server of the mysteries of the Spirit, O godly James.// Wherefore, we all honor thee, O apostle.

Ikos: With hymns of praise we faithfully hymn thee, the child of Joseph, first hierarch of the people of Jerusalem and brother of the Lord, O God-seer James, and we cry out to thee: Bestow upon us the perfect gift from the Father of lights, and dispel the sorrow which results from the multitude of our transgressions. For our enemies have crushed us under their heel, the Moslems have surrounded us, whose bows do thou swiftly break, O thou who art manifest in sanctity, that we may all honor thee, O apostle.

On the Aposticha, these Stichera,
in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Joy of the ranks of heaven …”:

Thou wast shown to be the Word’s brother in the flesh * by His own desire, O wise one, * His disciple and an eye-witness of the divine mysteries, * having fled with Him to Egypt, * with Joseph and the Mother of Jesus. ** With them pray that we be saved.

Glory …, in Tone VI:

With the blood of martyrdom thou didst adorn thy priesthood, O hieromartyr and apostle; for standing forth on the pinnacle of the temple, thou didst proclaim God the Word to be the Creator of all that existeth. Wherefore, cast down by the Jews, thou wast deemed worthy of the mansions of heaven, O James, brother of God, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

In the Church we are all one and Christ is the head. This is the most profound aspect, the most exalted meaning, of the Church. This is our Lord’s wish for all the members of the Church as expressed in His great high-priestly prayer: that they may be one. Saint Porphyrios the Kapsokalyvite

Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.
Synaxarion From the Menaion.
On October 7, we commemorate the holy Great Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, in Syria
On this day we commemorate the holy Martyrs Julian the Presbyter and Caesarius of Africa, the Deacon, at Terracina in Campania; and the holy Martyrs Eusebius the Presbyter and Felix, who buried their holy relics.
On this day we also commemorate the holy Leontius the Consular, who believed in Christ and prayed to Him, reposed in peace.
On this day we commemorate the holy hieromartyr Polychronius the Presbyter- Martyr, with Ten companions Saints Parmenias, Polytelius, Elymas, Mocius the Deacons, Chrysotelus the Presbyters, Maximus, Luke, Obadiah, Sennen and Olympiada (4th Century).
On this day we also commemorate the ninety-nine devout Fathers, who lived as ascetics on the island of Crete, reposed in peace.
On this day we also commemorate the Our righteous Father Sergius the Obedient of the Kiev Caves.
On this day we also commemorate the Our righteous Father Sergius of Nurma, disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh, who dwelt in Vologda ( 1412)
On this day we also commemorate the Our righteous Father Joseph, Elder and Wonderworker, of Khevi, Georgia (1763)
On this day we also commemorate the holy New Hieromartyr Sergius, Bishop of Narva.
On this day we also commemorate the Uncovering of the relics (1514) of the Venerable Martinian the Abbot of Belozersk (1483)
On this day we also commemorate the Uncovering of the relics (1906) of the St. John Triantaphyllidis from Chaldia Pontos (1903)
Icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” of the Pskov Caves (1524)
New Hieromartyrs Andrew Bistrov and Paul Berezin, New Hieromartyr Vitaly (Kokorev) (1937), Nicander Grivsky (1939), Martyrs Basil Vinogradov, Sergius Mikhailov and Spiridon Saveliev (1937)

«that they may be one, as we are.» (John -17,11)
«for love is strong as death;» (Song of Songs 8,6)

Hymn of Praise
The Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič

The royal men, Sergius and Bacchus
Served the King, but not the earthly one-
Rather, Jesus, the Immortal King.
The earthly king mocked the saints
And removed the belts from their waists,
But the Lord girded them with strength.

The emperor removed their noblemen’s togas,
But the Savior clothed them more beautifully
In an incorrupt garment of immortality;

The emperor removed their rings from their right hands,
But the Lord gave them far more glorious ones,
In betrothing their souls to Himself.

The emperor banished them from his court,
But God welcomed them into the heavenly courts.
The earth tortured these knights of Christ,

The earth tortured them, but heaven gave them repose.
Decay rejects purity,
Evil rejects goodness,
But Saints Bacchus and Sergius
Returned all earthliness to the earth,
And gave their holy souls over to God!

Though exiled from the earthly kingdom,
They illumine the earth even now;
By their suffering, they conquered malice;
By their death for the Cross, they are glorified.
As victors over the powers of darkness,
They show us the path to victory.
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
http://prologue.orthodox.cn/October7.htm

***

Saint Gabriel of Samtavro, Georgia

God is love. I tried hard but was unable to attain the love of God and neighbor according to the commandments of Our Savior. Love is the only aim of man in this visible world to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and rest in the Eternity.

Mercy is gold, humility is a diamond.

When you see your neighbor in trouble, help, comfort, pray for him with all your heart – and the Lord will hear your request and have mercy on him.

Love everyone; if you can’t, at least show a goodwill.
In the End Days a man will be saved by love, humbleness and kindness. Kindness will open the gates of Heaven; humbleness will lead into the Heaven; a man, whose heart is filled with love, will see the God. This is my last will and testament: raise your prayers for everyone; your prayers will move the mountains. Love each other…

God is an infinite Love.

We are witnessing the End Days. You will see the Antichrist. The Lord our God will demand love for God and the neighbor; whoever holds out to the end will be saved.

Love is the only power with which man will be able to withstand the traps of the Antichrist.

***

Saint Porphyrios the Kapsokalyvite of Milesi , Oropos

In the Church we are all one and Christ is the head

Christ is revealed in that unity between His love and ourselves: the Church. On my own I am not the Church, but together with you. All together we are the Church. All are incorporated in the Church. We are all one and Christ is the head. One body, one body of Christ: You are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Cor. 12:27) We are all one because God is our Father and is everywhere. When we experience this we are in the Church. This is our Lord’s wish for all the members of the Church as expressed in His great high-priestly prayer: that they may be one. (John 17:11,22) But that’s something you can only understand through grace. We experience the joy of unity, of love, and we become one with everyone. There is nothing more magnificent!

The important thing is for us to enter into the Church – to unite ourselves with our fellow men, with the joys and sorrows of each and everyone, to feel that they are our own, to pray for everyone, to have care for their salvation, to forget about ourselves, to do everything for them just as Christ did for us. In the Church we become one unfortunate, suffering and sinful soul. No one should wish to be saved alone without all others being save. It is a mistake for someone to pray for himself, that he himself may be saved.

We are true Christians when we have a profound sense that we are members of the mystical body of Christ, of the Church, in an unbroken relationship of love – when we live united in Christ, that is, when we experience unity in His Church with a sense of oneness. This is why Christ prays to His Father saying, that they may be one. He repeats the prayer again and again and the apostles emphasise it everywhere. This is the most profound aspect, the most exalted meaning, of the Church. This is where the secret is to be found: for all to be united as one person in God. There is no other religion like this; no other religion says anything of this sort.They have something to say, but not this mystery, this exquisite point of the mystery which Christ demands and tells us that this is how we must become, that he wants us to be His.

***

Fr. Sophrony’s prayer for Unity

LORD JESUS CHRIST, Thou, Lamb of God, who didst take upon Thyself the sin of the world, Who by Thine ascent to Golgotha didst redeem us from the curse of the Law and didst restore Thy fallen image; Who didst stretch Thy most pure hands on the Cross, gathering together in one the scattered children of God, and by the descent of the most Holy Spirit didst call all men to unity; THOU, THAT ART the brightness of the Father, before going forth to this great and sacred work for the salvation of the world, didst pray to Thy Father that all may be one, even as Thou art one with the Father and the Holy Ghost:

Do Thou grant even unto us the grace and wisdom each day to fulfill this commandment, and strengthen us to strive for that love, which Thou didst command of us, saying: “LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.”

By Thy Holy Spirit give us the power to humble ourselves, one before the other, mindful that he who loveth the more doth humble himself the more. Teach us to pray for one another, in patience to bear one another’s burdens, and unite us with the unbreakable bond of love in thy holy Name. Grant us to behold in our every brother and sister the image of Thine ineffable glory, and never to forget that our brother is our life.

Yea, O Lord, Who hast gathered us together of Thy good providence, make us truly into one family, living with one heart, one will, a single love, as one man, according to Thy pre-eternal counsel for Adam the first-born. Fill our house with the spirit of Thy holy fear, and let the prayers of Thy Most Holy Mother, of Thy Forerunner John, and our hallowed Fathers Silouan and Seraphim overshadow it always, blessing and defending each one of them that dwell therein (Names), preserving us from pernicious thoughts, from unseemly words or impulses of the heart that might destroy peace and concord; that this house may be builded on the rock of Thy Gospel commandments as a place of prayer, of sanctification and salvation, for ourselves and for all who visit us, our labouring and burdened brothers and sisters, that we may all find rest in Thee, our meek and lowly King, now and for ever; world without end. Amen.

***

Saint Paisios the Athonite

The fervent love of Christ nourishes more than any other material food and gives many calories to the soul and body. Oftentimes, it even cures incurable diseases without medication and brings rest to souls.
Those who do not sacrifice their physical health for the love of Christ, scorning their bodily rest, will not find spiritual rest, neither in this life, nor in the next, eternal life.
Those who, out of pure love, sacrifice even their own life to protect their fellowmen, imitate Christ. These people are, of course, the greatest heroes, because even death trembles before them, since they defied death out of love; thus, they triumph with immortality, and, tak­ing the key to eternity out from beneath the gravestone, proceed freely to eternal blessedness.
It is preferable for a sensitive person to be himself killed once, out of love, in order to protect his fellow­man, than to cop out or back out and be constantly slaugh­tered by his conscience for the rest of his life.

I feel such MOTHER LOVE, such affection and tenderness, that I did not have before.
The whole world fits inside me. I want to hug all people, to help them. Because love cannot be closed in the heart.

Anthony Bloom of Sourozh

To tell a person ‘I love you’ is tantamount to saying ‘You shall never die’«that they may be one», St. John the Hermit and the 98 Fathers of Crete
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2017/10/06/that-they-may-be-one-st-john-the-hermit-and-the-98-fathers-of-crete/

Saint John Triantaphyllides, the New Chrysostom and Merciful of Chaldia in the Pontos
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/saint-john-triantaphyllides-the-new-chrysostom-and-merciful-of-chaldia-in-the-pontos/

Only Time knows how important Love is in life. Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2020/10/06/only-time-knows-how-important-love-is-in-life-saint-nikolai-velimirovic/

Troparion of SS Sergius and Bacchus — Tone 4

Your holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, O Lord, / through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God. / For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries, / and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. / Through their intercessions, save our souls!

Troparion of SS Sergius and Bacchus ― Tone 1

In contest you were victorious warriors of the Trinity/ and an illustrious pair of martyrs,/ Sergius godly champion, and Bacchus noble athlete./ In the radiancy of your glory you shelter those who cry:/ Glory to Him Who has strengthened you; glory to Him Who has crowned you;/ glory to Him Who through you works healings for all.

Apolytikion of Hosiosmartyrs of Crete ― Tone 3

The great island of Crete rejoices that in its mountains the supremely divine Fathers defeated their crafty adversary with tears, fasting, prayers and supplications. Therefore your spirits rejoice with the angels, and with your sacred relics grant healing to those who are suffering.

Apolytikion of St. John Triantaphyllides ― Tone 1

The offspring of Chaldia, the barrier of Orthodoxy, the treasury of piety, John let us hymn, who pours out healings to the faithful, and mercy to those who run to him, giving the fruits of his divine teachings, imparting peace: glory to you whom we proclaim wise, glory to Him Who showed you to be, to all those who approach you with faith, a protective consolation.

The Old Testament Tower of Babel was child’s play compared with our age. O man-loving Lord, the only friend of man, Thee only do we know and recognize. Thee, only Thee, do we receive as our Savior and salvation. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos – Saint Nikolai Velimirovič

Synaxis of Saints Righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, (parents of the Theotokos)
Commemoration of the Third Ecumenical Council (431).
Venerable Theophanes the Confessor and Faster of Mt. Diabenos (299).
Martyr Chariton, by the sword.
Martyr Severian of Sebaste (320
Venerable Joseph of Volokolamsk (Volotsk) Monastery, Wonderworker (1515)
Venerable Onuphrius of Vorona, Moldavia (1789
Elders of the Glinsk Hermitage: Venerables Basil Kishkin (1831); Philaret Danilevsky (1841); Theodotus Levchenko (1859); Macarius Sharov (1864); Martyrius Kirichenko (1865); Euthymius Liubimchenko (1866); Dositheus Kolchenkov (1874); Heliodorus Golovanitsky (1879); Innocent Stepanov (1888); Luke Shvets (1894); Archippus Shestakov (1896); Ioannicius Gromolko (1912); Seraphim Amelin (1958); Andronicus Lukash (1974); Seraphim Romantsov (1976); Zenobius Mazhuga (Seraphim) (1985).
Remembrance of the miracle of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Nikolai Motovilov(1831)
Uncovering and Translation of the Relics (1896) of St. Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov (1696)

Commemorated on September 9

Verses
Let Joachim now with his Wife delight,
Both to creation bearing soul’s delight.
Feast of the parents of her who is Mother of God is the ninth day.

Saint Paisios the Athonite on Sts. Joachim and Anna

-Elder, tell us about St. Joachim and St. Anna, the Ancestors of God. At one point you started to tell us something.

-From a young age I had great reverence towards the Ancestors of God. Indeed, I had said to someone that, when they make me a monk, I would want them to give me the name Joachim. How much I am indebted to them! Sts. Joachim and Anna are the most dispassionate (in other words without corrupting passions) couple which ever existed. They did not have any carnal attitude.

This is how God made man and this is how he wanted men to be born, dispassionately. But after the fall passion entered the relationship between man and woman. As soon as a dispassionate couple was found, as God created man and as he wished men to be born, the Panagia was born, this pure creation, and then Christ became incarnate. My thoughts tell me that Christ would have descended earlier to earth, if there were a pure pair, such as were Sts. Joachim and Anna.

The Roman Catholics fall into error and believe, supposedly from piety, that Panagia was born without original sin. While Panagia was not free from original sin, she gave birth however as God wished to be born to men after creation. She was all-pure (1), because Her conception occurred without pleasure. The Holy Ancestors of God, after fervent prayer to God to grant them a child, conceived not by sexual lust, but by obedience to God. This fact I had experienced on Sinai. (2)

(1) The Theotokos was born according to a natural manner and not virginally. “She was all-pure”, because as St. John of Damascus writes in his homily “On the Birth of our Most-Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary”, she was conceived “chastely” but increased with her struggle the holiness given to her from her parents, warding off all unnecessary and soul-endangering thoughts before experiencing them.”
(2) The Elder lived in asceticism on Sinai, at Sts. Episteme and Galaction, from 1962 to 1964. This occurance he did not reveal to us.”
(Source: Elder Paisios the Athonite, Book IV: Family Life, Holy Hesychasterion of “St. John the Evangelist the Theologian”, Souroti, Thessaloniki 2007;

***

HOMILY
On how sinful men prefer to receive an evildoer rather than a doer of good
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič

I am come in My Father’s name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive (John 5:43).

Who is this “other” who will come in his own name, and whom sinful men will prefer to receive rather than Christ the Lord? It is he who does not carry the cross and does not walk the narrow path; he who is not a lover of man but rather a hater of man; he who does not struggle against sin but rather struggles for sin; he who loves impurity and spreads impurity; he who is a soldier of eternal death and not of eternal life; he who flatters the godless and loves every passion and vice: he is Antichrist. He will come in his own name and not in the name of God, and all those who did not receive Christ will receive him. He will be more dear to them, for he will embrace all their crooked and sinful paths. He will be more dear to them than Christ, for alongside the difficult path of Christ he will build a path smooth as ice, over which men will easily slide, not thinking about the abyss to which it leads them. The Lord Jesus Christ came in the name of the eternal salvation of men, eternal life, eternal truth and eternal justice. Antichrist will come in his own name, that is, in the name of eternal destruction, death, falsehood and injustice. When the Antichrist comes among his own, his own will gladly receive him. In fact, all those for whom Christ is difficult will gladly receive Antichrist, for he and his path will appear easy to them. Only when it is too late will the foolish see that they were deceived, but there will be no salvation for them. When they begin to slide into eternal night, into the jaws of the fetid serpent, then it will be too late; repentance will not be accepted and there will be no salvation. The foolish banquet of earthly sinners and Antichrist will be over quickly, in the blink of an eye, and the house of impure joy will turn into a hopeless prison of remorse and misery. Then it will be too late.

O man-loving Lord, the only friend of man, Thee only do we know and recognize. Thee, only Thee, do we receive as our Savior and salvation.

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
https://prologue.orthodox.cn/September10.htm

***

Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
The Old Testament Tower of Babel was child’s play compared with our age.

Wakefulness and sobriety are needed. All that a person does he must do for the sake of God. Christ must be at the source of every movement. Much attention is required, for when we do something with the aim of pleasing others we gain no benefit.
We ascend to the heavens not through earthly striving but by humbling ourselves spiritually. He who goes low goes sure and never falls. Ours is an age of sensationalism and hullabaloo. But the spiritual life is not noisy. Divine enlightenment is required and when it’s not there the person abides in darkness.
There was a time when the Holy Spirit enlightened us and showed us the way. A grand business! Today it finds no reason to descend to us. Difficult years are ahead. The Old Testament Tower of Babel was child’s play compared with our age.

***

Providence tells me that the Antichrist wants to subjugate the world using this system. It will be foisted upon people with the help of the mechanisms which control the world economy, for only those who receive the mark, an image with the number ‘666’, will be able to take part in economic life.. Little by little, after the introduction of ID cards with the three sixes, after the creation of a personal dossier, they’ll use cunning to introduce the mark. 
I see that something is in the works, that something lies just around the corner, but it’s constantly being put off. Little delays all the time. Who’s creating the delays? God? Another month passes, then another couple of months! That’s how it all goes. But since we know what awaits us, let’s develop love in ourselves, to the degree that we can. That’s the main thing: for true brotherly love to exist between us. Kindness, love — that’s strength!

***

Our time is like a bubbling and steaming cauldron. One needs temperament, audacity, courage. Take care not to be caught unprepared, if something is to happen. Start getting ready now so that you’ll be able to resist difficulties. Christ Himself tells us: “Therefore be ye also ready” (Matt. 24:44), doesn’t He? Today, living in such complicated times, we have to be not merely ready, but triply ready, at the minimum!
No matter what happens, we must continue to pray, think and act. It’s best to always stand up to a difficult situation using spiritual means.
God expects patience, prayer and struggle from us.
We have to pray a lot, and with pain in our hearts, so that God will intervene: our times are very hard to understand. A lot of ash, rubbish, and indifference has accumulated, and a strong wind will be needed to blow it all away.
Divine intervention is needed: Great upheavals are happening. What a bedlam! The minds of whole nations are in confusion. But in spite of the ferment I feel a certain consolation inside, a certain confidence. God still dwells in a part of the Christians. God’s people, people of prayer, still remain, and God in his all-goodness still tolerates us and will put everything in order. Don’t be afraid! We’ve gone through many storms, and still haven’t perished. So should we be afraid of the storm which is now gathering? We’ll not perish this time either!
In order to hold back a great evil, great holiness is needed. A spiritual person can hold back evil and help others. In the spiritual life the biggest coward can attain great courage by entrusting himself to Christ and His divine help. He can go to the front lines, do battle with the enemy, and win! So therefore we will fear God alone, not people, no matter how evil they may be. The fear of God makes any coward into a hero! A person becomes fearless to the extent he unites with God.
Knowing the truth, a person will begin to mull things over and shake himself out of his sleep. What’s going on will begin to cause him pain. He’ll begin to pray and to be on his guard, so as to not fall into that trap.

We must have as an example Saints Joachim and Anna. Throughout their lives they are praying and not despair, but it was full of hope • Whoever entrusts himself to God, God does not leave him. Is there anything in God that can not do it? Saint Paisios of Mount Athos – Starets Nektarios of Optina – Saint Seraphim of Sarov
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2021/09/08/we-must-have-as-an-example-saints-joachim-and-anna-throughout-their-lives-they-are-praying-and-not-despair-but-it-was-full-of-hope-whoever-entrusts-himself-to-god-god-does-not-leave-him-i/

The Queen of Heaven is particularly close to children who call upon her. She loves and helps them.
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2018/09/08/the-queen-of-heaven-is-particularly-close-to-children-who-call-upon-her-she-loves-and-helps-them/

Apolytikion of Synaxis of the Holy Ancestors of God
Second Tone

As we celebrate the memory of Thy righteous ancestors, O Lord, through them we beseech Thee to save our souls.

Apolytikion of Nativity of the Theotokos
Fourth Tone

Your birth, O Theotokos, brought joy to the whole world, for from you dawned the sun of righteousness, Christ our God. Freeing us from the curse, He gave us His blessings. Abolishing death, He granted us eternal life.

Kontakion of Synaxis of the Holy Ancestors of God
Second Tone

Now Anna is glad, for from the bonds of barrenness hath she been released; and nourishing the all-pure one, she doth summon all together, that they might praise Him Who from her womb hath bestowed upon mortal men the only pure Mother who hath not known man.

Pray in the words of the Ecclesiastical Ode “Enlighten, O Giver of Light, and me the sinner with Your light inaccessible”, and strengthen your faith, remembering that the Church does not pray for things that cannot be done.” Saint Sophrony (Sakharov) of Essex

Synaxarion.
On August 6 is the commemoration of the divine Transfiguration of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.
We also commemorate the holy New Martyr Abbacum of Thessalonica (1628)
On this day the Repose of Abbess Maria (Ushakova) of Diveyevo (1904)
On this day the Repose of Hieroschemamonk Nikon the Cave-dweller, of Valaam Monastery (1822)
On this day the Repose of Elder Tryphon of Kapsala, Mount Athos. the Romanian (1978)

«the light of thy countenance, O Lord, has been manifested towards us. »
«O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance shall they walk, and in Thy, Name shall they rejoice all the day long. »

Saint Sophrony (Sakharov) of Essex

What can I do to inherit eternal life”?

And I was given the answer:

“Pray, as Saint Gregory Palamas, who cried for many years, “Lord, Enlighten my darkness,” and he was heard.

“Pray in the words of the Ecclesiastical Ode “Enlighten, O Giver of Light, and me the sinner with Your light inaccessible”, and strengthen your faith, remembering that the Church does not pray for things that cannot be done.”

Then, that Man, in excluding the possibility that such a prayer would remain without the above answer, closed his argument as follows:

” When your soul knew this light, then, when it happened to lose it, you will burn for it, and mimicking the Saint Simeon the New Theologian will seek and will I cry unto them:

— Come, O true light!
— Come, O eternal life!
— Come, O raising of the fallen!
— Come, O rising of those who lie down!
— Come, O resurrection of the dead!
— Come, All-Holy King.
— Come, and dwell in us
and live continually, inseparably within me,
and you reign in us
ever and unto the ages of ages.

***

The Romanian Peasant Woman
and the Uncreated Light
by elder Cleopa Ilie of Romania

Elder Cleopa related us another hidden miracle that took place in the church of Sihastria monastery. In the winter of 1971 I was on duty at the holy altar. I arrived at the curch at 4 o’clock in the morning and I was making my prayers for the Holy Eucharist before the Holy Table. After not very long time a woman who had come to the monastery the night before entered to pray. I didn’t know her.

She prayed in a whisper before all the icons and she prostrated herself all the time. She didn’t know there was someone else in the church, because, being winter time, it was very dark. Hearing that there was someone who prayed so fervently, I looked through the Holy Doors to see who it was. The woman was on her knees in the middle of the church, with her hands raised up in the air and she was saying from the bottom of her heart these words: God, don’t leave me! God don’t leave me!

Then I saw a pale, yellow light around her head and got frightened. Then the woman bowed with her face down to the ground and started to pray in secret, speechlessly. The ray of light above her grew bigger and was getting higher around her head. After some time the light faded away slowly and the woman got up and went out of the church. She was a country woman. See then who has the gift of prayer! See who surpasses so many! I was busy with the Proscomidy and because of the great emotion I started to cry with the holy copy in my hand.

Only God knows how many chosen people He has in this world!
Source: Archimandrite Ioanichie Balan. The life and ascetic struggles of the archimandrite Cleopa Ilie, The Publishing House of the Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bucovina, Iasi, 1999

***

A Greek-American family man who saw the Uncreated Light

The Geron (=elder) once told me the following story:
“A Greek-American doctor had once visited me. He was Orthodox, but didn’t have too much to do with religion… He didn’t even keep the fast on Fridays…nor did he go to Church very often. He recently had an experience, and wanted to discuss it with someone. One evening, while he was praying in his apartment, the “heavens opened up”. He was flooded by light, and the ceiling disappeared, as did the other forty floors above his apartment. He remained in that flood of light for a very long time – he couldn’t even tell for how long!
I stood amazed!  Because I could feel and understand that this incident was “from God”.  It was real… He had actually seen the “uncreated light” [*].
What had he done in his lifetime? How did he live, to deserve such divine things?
He was married; he had a wife and children. His wife had said to him: “I’m sick and tired of housework; I want to be able to go out for a walk every now and then.”  Well, she wasn’t exactly employed, so she started to go out with her girlfriends and pressured him into accompanying her every night on her outings.  After a while, she said: “I want to be able to go out with my girlfriends, alone.”  He accepted this, for his children’s sake.  Later, she “wanted to go on vacation by herself….”. What could he do?  He gave her money and the car.
She then asked him to rent out an apartment, so that she could live on her own; she would also invite her friends over.  He would speak to her, he would counsel her, ‘how do our children feel about all this?’.   She was adamant. In the end, she extracted a large sum of money from him and deserted him.  She felt too confined!
A few years later, he learnt that she had ended up a prostitute in the clubs of Piraeus!
He was distraught!  He lamented over her fate!  He thought of looking for her.  But what would he tell her?..
He knelt down to pray:  “My God…help me, tell me what to say…  what to do… to save this soul…”. You see, he was hurting for her. He wanted “that soul to be saved”.  No male ego, no vindictiveness, no contempt… he truly hurt inside, seeing her wretched state.  He ached for her salvation…
That was the moment when God opened up the heavens… and flooded him with His light.
You see?… You see?….. He was in America….. and in what kind of an environment was he living?….. And yet, how many of us live on this Holy Mountain, inside the grace of the Holy Mother, without any sort of progress!
Glory be to God !   Glory be to God! »
* «uncreated light»: It is called uncreated, in other words, it has not been created, it is without a beginning; it is a divine energy, God; it has been experienced, by major spiritual ascetics; it is the desired achievement of ascetic living; it is considered an experience of theosis.
It is a participation of  the human in the Divine energy… “…communicants of divine nature…”
An excerpt from the book: “Father Paisios told me”, by Athan. Rakovalis, “Orthodox Hive” Publications, pages 27-29
Translation by A. N.

At Vespers: Exodus 24:12-18, 33:11-23, 34:4-6, 8; I Kings 19:3-9, 11-13, 15-16.
At the Orthros (Matins): Luke 9:28-36.
At the Divine Liturgy: II Peter 1:10-19; Matthew 17:1-9.
The event of the Transfiguration is recorded in three of the four Gospels: Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36.

Apolytikion of the Feast.
Grave Mode.

You were transfigured upon the mountain, O Christ our God, showing to Your disciples Your glory as much as they could bear. Do also in us, sinners though we may be, shine Your everlasting light, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Giver of light. Glory to You. (3)

Idiomelon 2.
Mode 2.

On Mount Tabor, You were transfigured in glory, O Christ our God, and to Your Apostles You revealed the glory of Your divinity. We pray You, shine on us also, with the light of true knowledge of You, and guide us on the path of Your commandments, for only You are good and love humanity.

Glory
Mode pl. 1.

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of our God, and we shall behold the glory of His Transfiguration, glory as of the only Son from the Father. By light let us receive light, and when we are uplifted by the Spirit, let us sing hymns to the consubstantial Trinity to the ages.

Both now
Mode pl. 1.

Moses, the seer of God, and Elias, the fiery charioteer who races unburnt across the heavens, saw You in the cloud at Your Transfiguration, O Christ; and they bore witness that You are the Author and Fulfiller of the Law and the Prophets. We pray You, O Master, count us worthy, like them, to receive Your illumination, and to sing Your praises to the ages.