December
6th
(New Style) • November 23rd (Old Style)
Saint
Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium
Amphilochius
was a fellow countryman, companion and friend of St. Basil the Great
and other great saints of the fourth century. Amphilochius left the
uproar of the world early in life and withdrew to a cave where, as a
hermit, he lived in asceticism for forty years. It then happened that
the episcopal throne in Iconium was vacated, and Amphilochius, in a
wondrous manner, was chosen and consecrated Bishop of Iconium. He was
a splendid shepherd and a great defender of the purity of the Orthodox
Faith. He took part in the Second Ecumenical Council in 381. He fought
zealously against the impious Macedonius, the Arians and the Eunomians.
He personally begged Theodosius the Great to expel all the Arians from
every city in the empire, but the emperor did not heed him. A few days
later, Amphilochius came before the emperor again. When the bishop was
led into the reception chamber, the emperor was sitting on his throne,
and on his right sat his son Arcadius, whom Theodosius had taken as
his co-emperor. Entering the chamber, St. Amphilochius bowed to
Emperor Theodosius but paid no attention to Arcadius, the emperor's
son, as if he were not there. Greatly enraged at this, Emperor
Theodosius ordered that Amphilochius be immediately expelled from the
court. The saint then said to the emperor: ``Do you see, O Emperor,
how you do not tolerate disrespect to your son? So too, God the Father
does not tolerate disrespect to His Son, and is disgusted with the
corruptness of those who blaspheme Him and is angered at all those
adherents of that cursed (Arian) heresy.'' Hearing this, the emperor
then understood why Amphilochius had not given honor to his son, and
was amazed at his wisdom and daring. Among many other works, St.
Amphilochius wrote several books on the Faith. He entered into rest in
great old age in the year 395 and took up his habitation in eternal
life.
Saint
Gregory, Bishop of Agrigentum
Gregory
was born of devout parents, Chariton and Theodota in Sicily near the
town of Agrigentum, where he was later bishop,. His entire life was
imbued with God's wonderful miracles. In a miraculous manner, he went
to Jerusalem; in a miraculous manner, he was chosen as bishop; and in
a miraculous manner, he was saved from slander. He himself was a great
miracle-worker, for he was a great God-pleaser, a great spiritual
father and an ascetic. He participated at the Fifth Ecumenical Council
in Constantinople in 553. After difficult trials he reposed peacefully
near the end of the sixth century or the beginning of the seventh.
Saint
Alexander Nevsky
Alexander
was the son of Prince Yaroslav. From childhood, his heart was directed
to God. He defeated the Swedes on the river Neva on July 15, 1240, for
which he received the appellation ``Nevsky'' (``of the Neva''). On
that occasion, Saints Boris and Gleb appeared to one of Alexander's
commanders and promised their help to the great prince, who was their
kinsman. Once, among the Golden Horde of the Tartars, he refused to
bow down to idols or to pass through fire. Because of his wisdom,
physical strength and beauty, even the Tartar Khan respected him. He
built many churches and performed countless works of mercy. He entered
into rest on November 14, 1263 at the age of forty-three. On this day,
November 23, the translation of his relics to the town of Vladimir is
commemorated.
Saint
Mitrophan, Bishop of Voronezh
Mitrophan
was a glorious Russian hierarch, ascetic and patriot. He was a friend,
and later a critic, of Peter the Great. He entered into rest on
November 23, 1703. His wonderworking relics were uncovered in the year
1832.
Reflection
God
permits misfortune to befall the righteous, that He might glorify them
more greatly. The overcoming of misfortune reveals both the glory of
God and the glory of the righteous. St. Gregory of Agrigentum was, in
all things, righteous and pleasing to God. But God permitted
misfortune to befall him, similar to that misfortune that once
overtook St. Athanasius and St. Macarius. Two priests, Sabinus and
Crescens, for whom Gregory had done much good, could not at all
tolerate Gregory's virtuousness. For such is the nature of vice, that
it cannot tolerate virtue. Consequently, Sabinus and Crescens found a
notorious prostitute and bribed her to malign Gregory by saying that
he had had immoral relations with her. So it was that when Gregory was
in church, the woman crept into his bedroom, and just as Gregory came
out of church with the people, she emerged from his room. The two
priests began to revile Gregory as a libertine. However, Gregory was
composed and prepared for every suffering. They confined him in prison
and then transferred him to Rome. The pope believed the slanderers and
kept Gregory in prison for two and a half years, without a trial or a
verdict. A council was then convened to try Gregory's case, but God
judged before man could judge. The woman went insane and was brought
mad before the council. She was unable to answer any questions.
Gregory, the miracle-worker, prayed to God for her and she was healed,
for the evil spirit came out of her. Then, through her tears, she
confessed that she had been bribed to malign the man of God, and that
immediately after she had committed the slander, the evil spirit had
entered her and held her in its power. Sabinus and Crescens, along
with the other maligners-more than a hundred in number-found their
faces suddenly turned as black as coal, and they were punished with
exile. St. Gregory was returned to his diocese and was received with
great exultation by his people.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the wondrous creation of the world (Genesis 2):
1. How God gave the first people all the plants and all the fruitful
trees for food;
2. How He forbade them to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, lest they die
Homily
On grace and gifts
But
unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the
gift of Christ (Ephesians 4:7).
Here is
the beginning of distinctions among Christians. At first, the Apostle
enumerated that which unites us, that is, one Lord, one Faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:5-6).
Nevertheless, here he emphasizes that which makes us unwillingly
different. The measure of the gift of Christ makes us different, the
measure according to which the grace of the Holy Spirit is given.
Christ is the Head of the great body that is called the Church. He
creates that body and, individually, every member of that body; He is
the Builder and He is the only One who knows the plan of that
building. He does not allow one member in this building to be
disproportionally great or small. He gives the proper measure to
everything and everyone. Thus, He gives one five talents, another two,
and another, one. He measures, and the Holy Spirit pours out His grace
accordingly. No one should be angry or envious. No one should be
angry, for if he has received less, he will have less to answer for.
No one should be envious, for if someone has received more, it is not
his, but God's. If he has much, much will be asked of him, as it is
said in the divine parable of the talents.
O my brethren, let every one of us be conscious of the measure of our
gift and our responsibility. Let us respect our gift and the gift of
our neighbor, for all gifts are from God and are God's.
O Lord Jesus, the great Giver of diverse gifts, to Thee be glory and
praise forever. Amen.
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December
7th
(New Style) • November 24th (Old Style)
The
Holy Great-martyr Catherine
Catherine
was the daughter of King Constus. After the death of her father, she
lived with her mother in Alexandria. Her mother was secretly a
Christian who, through her spiritual father, brought Catherine to the
Christian Faith. In a vision, St. Catherine received a ring from the
Lord Jesus Himself as a sign of her betrothal to Him. This ring
remains on her finger even today. Catherine was greatly gifted by God
and was well educated in Greek philosophy, medicine, rhetoric and
logic. In addition to that, she was of unusual physical beauty. When
the iniquitous Emperor Maxentius offered sacrifices to the idols and
ordered others to do the same, Catherine boldly confronted the emperor
and denounced his idolatrous errors. The emperor, seeing that she was
greater than he in wisdom and knowledge, summoned fifty of his wisest
men to debate with her on matters of faith and to put her to shame.
Catherine outwitted and shamed them. In a rage, the emperor ordered
all fifty of those men burned. By St. Catherine's prayers, all fifty
confessed the name of Christ and declared themselves Christians before
their execution. After Catherine had been put in prison, she converted
the emperor's commander, Porphyrius, and two hundred soldiers to the
true Faith, as well as Empress Augusta-Vasilissa herself. They all
suffered for Christ. During the torture of St. Catherine, an angel of
God came to her and destroyed the wheel on which the holy virgin was
being tortured. Afterward, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself appeared to
her and comforted her. After many tortures, Catherine was beheaded at
the age of eighteen, on November 24, 310. Milk, instead of blood,
flowed from her body. Her miracle-working relics repose on Mount
Sinai.
The
Holy Great-martyr Mercurius
When
Emperor Decius once waged war against the barbarians, there was in his
army the commander of an Armenian regiment called the Martenesians.
This commander was named Mercurius. In battle, an angel of the Lord
appeared to Mercurius, placed a sword in his hand, and assured him of
victory over his enemies. Indeed, Mercurius displayed wonderful
courage, mowing down the enemy like grass. Following this glorious
victory Emperor Decius made him chief commander of his army, but
envious men reported Mercurius to the emperor for being a Christian, a
fact which he did not hide but openly acknowledged before the emperor.
Mercurius was tortured harshly and at length; he was cut into strips
with knives and burned with fire. An angel of God appeared to him in
prison and healed him. Finally, the emperor proclaimed that General
Mercurius be beheaded in Cappadocia. When they beheaded him, his body
became as white as snow and emitted a most wonderful incense-like
fragrance. His miracle-working relics healed many of the sick. This
most wonderful soldier of Christ suffered for the Faith sometime
between the years 251 and 259 and took up his habitation in the
Kingdom of his King and God.
The
Holy Virgin Mastridia
Mastridia
lived in Alexandria and led a solitary life of prayer and handiwork. A
young man, burning with bodily passion toward her, constantly harassed
her. Not wanting to sin before God, and since she could not easily be
rid of this unrestrained youth, St. Mastridia once asked him what
attracted him most to her. He replied: ``Your eyes!'' Mastridia then
took the needle with which she was sewing and put out her eyes. Thus,
Mastridia preserved her peace and the young man's soul. The young man
repented deeply, and became a monk.
Reflection
A tale
of Elder Barlaam to Ioasaph: The citizens in a certain town had a
custom of choosing as king a stranger who did not know their laws and
customs. After they had crowned him king, they clothed him in
beautiful robes, fed him abundantly and surrounded him with every
luxury. However, as soon as one year had elapsed, they deposed their
king, stripped him of all his goods and his clothes, and drove him
completely naked to a distant island, where he had neither bread nor
roof nor companions, and where he would die in misery and humiliation.
The citizens of this town would then choose another king, also a
stranger and also for one year; then a third, then a fourth, then a
fifth and so forth. But it once happened that they chose a very wise
and cautious man. He learned from his servants what had happened to
the kings of this town after their year. Therefore, over the course of
the whole year he zealously gathered food and goods and daily sent
them to that island. When the year had run out and when he was
stripped of his clothing and cast onto the island, he found himself
amidst an enormous quantity of food, silver, gold and precious stones,
and continued to live there even better than he lived as king in that
town. The interpretation is this: The town represents the world; the
citizens represent the evil spirits; the kings are men, either foolish
or wise. The foolish men think only of the pleasures of this life, as
if it were eternal; but in the end, death cuts everything off and
they, naked of all good works, go to hell. The wise, however, perform
many good works, and send these good works ahead of them to the other
world. At their repose, the wise kings-the good men-depart to that
world where their accumulated riches await them, and where they reign
in greater eternal glory and beauty than they reigned here on earth.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the wondrous creation of the world (Genesis 2):
1. How God brought all animals, birds and beasts before Adam, to see
how he would name them;
2. How Adam gave a name to every animal and every bird and every
beast.
Homily
On Him Who descended
and ascended
He
that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all
heavens, that He might fill all things (Ephesians 4:10).
In His love for man, the Lord Jesus Christ lowered Himself so low
that He could go no lower; and then raised Himself so high that, in
truth, He could go no higher. He descended into the lower parts of
the earth (Ephesians 4:9): into hades itself, where He freed the
forefathers, prophets and righteous ones, and led them into the
Kingdom of Heaven. Completing His work both on earth and in hades, He
ascended far above all heavens. The same One Who ascended is
the very same One Who descended without any change, except that He
descended without a body, and ascended with a body. Therefore, there
are not both a Son of God and a Son of Man as heretics have said, but
Christ is both the Son of God and the Son of Man-one and the same
Person-one and the same God-man, our Savior Jesus Christ. As He is the
same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so He is the same in the depths
and in the heights: on earth, in hades, and in the heavens. He abased
Himself lower than all men, and raised Himself above all the angelic
powers, to show by example the truthfulness of His words: And
whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall
humble himself shall be exalted (Matthew 23:12). If we are not
humbled by virtues, then sin will humble us. Virtue leads to voluntary
and temporary abasement, but sin leads to irreversible and eternal
abasement.
O Lord Jesus, Who fills all by Thy power, fill us with the spirit of
true humility.
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December
8th
(New Style) • November 25th (Old Style)
The
Hieromartyr Clement, Bishop of Rome
Clement
was born in Rome of royal lineage and was a contemporary of the holy
apostles. His mother and two brothers, traveling on the sea, were
carried by a storm to different places. His father then went to find
his wife and two sons and he, too, became lost. Clement, being
twenty-four years old, then set out for the east to seek his parents
and brothers. In Alexandria, he made the acquaintance of the Apostle
Barnabas and, afterward, joined the Apostle Peter whom his two
brothers, Faustinus and Faustinian, were already following. By God's
providence, the Apostle Peter came upon Clement's mother as an aged
beggar woman, and then found his father as well. Thus, the whole
family was united, and all returned to Rome as Christians. Clement did
not separate himself from the great apostle, who appointed him as
bishop before his death. After Peter's martyrdom, Linus was Bishop of
Rome, then Cletus-both of them for a short time-and then Clement.
Clement governed the Church of God with flaming zeal, and from day to
day brought a great number of unbelievers to the Christian Faith. In
addition, he ordered seven scribes to write the lives of the Christian
martyrs who were suffering at that time for their Lord. The Emperor
Trajan banished him to Cherson, where Clement found about two thousand
exiled Christians. All were occupied with the difficult job of hewing
stones in a waterless land. The Christians received Clement with great
joy and he was a living source of comfort to them. By his prayer, he
brought forth water from the ground and converted so many of the
unbelieving natives to Christianity that, in one year, seventy-five
churches were built there. To prevent his spreading the Christian
Faith even more, the authorities condemned Clement to death, and
drowned him in the sea with a stone around his neck in the year 101.
His miracle-working relics were removed from the sea only in the time
of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
The
Hieromartyr Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria
Peter
was a disciple and successor of St. Theonas, Archbishop of Alexandria,
and was for a time a teacher at Origen's famous school of philosophy.
He ascended the archiepiscopal throne in the year 299, and died a
martyr's death in 311, beside the grave of the Holy Apostle Mark. He
governed the Church in a most difficult era, when assaults were being
made against the faithful by unbelievers from without, and by heretics
from within. During his time, 670 Christians suffered in Alexandria.
Often, whole families were led to the scaffold and executed. At the
same time, the ungodly Arius was confusing the faithful with his false
teaching. St. Peter cut him off from the Church and anathematized him,
both in this world and in the next. The Lord Himself visited this
great and wonderful saint in prison.
The
Venerable Paphnutius
Paphnutius
never drank wine. Once, bandits seized him, and their leader forced
him to drink a cup of wine. Seeing Paphnutius's kind nature, the chief
of the bandits repented, and abandoned his brigandage.
Reflection
It is
said of St. Peter of Alexandria that he never climbed the steps and
sat on the patriarchal throne in church, but rather stood or sat
before the steps of the throne. When the faithful complained that
their hierarch did not sit in his place, he replied: ``Whenever I
approach the throne, I see a heavenly light and power upon it, and
that is why I do not dare climb and sit on it.'' Beside this vision,
St. Peter had another, yet more wondrous vision. While he was in
prison, the impious heretic Arius hypocritically pretended that he had
repented of his heresy, and sent word to the captive Peter that he had
renounced his heresy, with an appeal to Peter to receive him into the
Church again. Arius did this only because he thought that Peter would
be martyred, and he could then acquire the patriarchal throne and
disseminate and strengthen his heresy. Before he gave any reply, Peter
prayed to God in the prison. During prayer, a mystical light illumined
the prison, and the Lord Jesus appeared to him as a twelve-year-old
boy, shining brighter than the sun, so that it was not possible to
look at Him directly. The Lord was clothed in a white tunic, rent down
the front from top to bottom. He clutched the garment around Himself
with His hands, as though to hide His nakedness. At this, St. Peter
was in great fear and horror. He cried out: ``Who, O Savior, has torn
Thy garment?'' The Lord replied: ``The madman Arius. He tore it, for
he alienated My people from Me, whom I acquired by My Blood. Be
careful not to receive him in communion with the Church, for he has
cunning and diabolical thoughts against Me and My people.'' At this,
St. Peter sent word to his priests, Achilles and Alexander, that he
could not receive Arius's petition, for it was false and cunning; and
the saint pronounced a curse on Arius in both worlds. He also
prophesied that Achilles, and then Alexander, would succeed him as
patriarch, and so it was.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the wondrous creation of the world (Genesis 2):
1. How God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and took one of his
ribs;
2. How the Lord God made the woman Eve from Adam's rib and brought her
to Adam;
3. How this is the foundation and reason for the mysterious attraction
and unity of husband and wife.
Homily
On the apportionment of
functions and callings
And
He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11).
As the various organs in a man's body have different functions but
all work in harmony for the good of the entire body, so the Lord
instituted various organs with different functions in the Church,
which is His Body. In the first place came the apostles, to whom was
given not just one honor, but rather all honors; not one function, but
rather all functions; not just one gift, but rather all the gifts of
grace. The apostles were simultaneously apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors and teachers. The apostolic calling is not given
anymore. Of the Great Apostles, there were twelve, the thirteenth
being the Apostle Paul; and of the Lesser Apostles, there were
seventy. The prophets are those who received the gift of prophecy from
the Holy Spirit. Here, it is not the Old Testament prophets that are
being discussed, but rather the New Testament prophets (Acts 11:27,
21:10, 13:1). The prophets were, and still are, prophets regardless of
their class and position. The evangelists were firstly those who wrote
the Gospels, and then missionaries who spread Christ's teaching among
the unbelievers and, finally, the interpreters of Holy Scripture who
in their writings presented the Christian truth for each and all.
Pastors and teachers-these are actually one and the same calling, for
it is difficult to imagine a pastor who is not a teacher at the same
time. The pastors are limited to a certain place and a certain number
of faithful whom they lead to salvation, and they govern the Church of
God. So, the Lord ordained all of this through His holy apostles.
Blessed is he who knows his function and gift received from the
Spirit, and who serves according to his designation to the end. Just
as the Holy Spirit now apportions His gifts, so the Lord, in His time,
will apportion rewards.
O Lord, Holy Spirit, true God, help us to use Thy gifts to the end of
our lives in humility, for the well-being of Christ's Church and for
our eternal salvation.
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December
9th
(New Style) • November 26th (Old Style)
The
Venerable Alypius the Stylite
Alypius
was born in Hadrianopolis, a city in Paphlagonia. From childhood, he
was dedicated to the service of God. He served as a deacon with Bishop
Theodore in the church in that city. But, desirous of a life of
solitude, prayer and meditation, Alypius withdrew to a Greek cemetery
outside the city. This was a cemetery from which people fled in
terror, because of frequent demonic visions seen there. Alypius set up
a cross in the cemetery and built a church in honor of St. Euphemia,
who had appeared to him in a dream. Beside the church, he built a tall
pillar, climbed on top of it, and spent fifty-three years there in
fasting and prayer. Neither the mockery of men nor the evil of the
demons was able to drive him away or cause him to waver in his
intention. Alypius especially endured countless assaults from demons.
Not only did the demons try to terrorize him with apparitions, but
stoned him as well, and gave him no peace, day or night, for a long
time. The courageous Alypius protected himself from the power of the
demons by the sign of the Cross and the name of Jesus. Finally the
demons were defeated and fled from him. Men began to revere him and
come to him for prayer, consolation, instruction and healing. Two
monasteries were built beside his pillar, one on one side for men and
one on the other for women. His mother and sister lived in the women's
monastery. St. Alypius guided the monks and nuns from his pillar, by
example and words. He shone like the sun in the heavens for everyone,
showing them the way to salvation. This God-pleaser had so much grace
that he was often illuminated in heavenly light, and a pillar of this
light extended to the heavens above him. St. Alypius was a wonderful
and mighty miracle-worker in life, and also after his repose. He lived
for one hundred years and entered into rest in the year 640, during
the reign of Emperor Heraclius. His head is preserved in the Monastery
of Koutloumousiou on the Holy Mountain.
The
Venerable James the Solitary
James
was from Syria. He was a disciple of St. Maron (February 14) and a
contemporary of St. Simeon the Stylite. He lived a life of asceticism
under the open sky and ate soaked lentils. He performed great
miracles, even raising the dead in the name of Christ. Emperor Leo
asked him for his thoughts on the Council of Chalcedon (451). He
entered peacefully into rest in the year 457.
The
Venerable Stylianus
Stylianus
was from Paphlagonia and a fellow countryman and contemporary of St.
Alypius. He had a great love for the Lord Jesus, and because of this
love gave himself up to great ascetic struggle. He renounced
everything in order to have an undivided love for his Lord. Before his
repose, angels came to take his soul, and his face shone like the sun.
Stylianus was a great miracle-worker before and after his death. He
especially helps sick children and childless couples.
The
Venerable Nicon, the Preacher of Repentance
Nicon
was born in Armenia. Awakened by the words of the Lord, Every one
that hath forsaken … father or mother … shall receive an
hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life (Matthew 19:29),
Nicon indeed forsook all for the sake of Christ, and went to a
monastery, where he was tonsured a monk. When he was perfected in all
virtues, he left the monastery and went to preach the Gospel among the
people. He ceaselessly cried out, ``Repent!'' for which he was also
called the ``the Preacher of Repentance.'' As a preacher, he visited
all of Anatolia and the Peloponnese. He worked miracles by prayer in
the name of Christ and peacefully went to his beloved Lord. He reposed
in Sparta in the year 998.
Saint
Innocent of Irkutsk, the Wonderworker
He
reposed in the year 1731, and his miracle-working relics were
uncovered in 1804.
Reflection
Many
learned pagans entered the Church of Christ and were baptized
precisely because the Church preached immortal life as a proven fact
and not as a speculation of human reason. St. Clement of Rome had
studied all of Greek philosophy, yet his soul remained unsatisfied and
empty. As a young man of twenty-four, he desired to know with all his
soul if there were another, better life than this. Philosophy gave him
only the thoughts of various men, but no real proof. He mourned for
his lost parents and brothers and was tormented constantly by not
knowing if he would be able to see them in some other life. The
All-seeing God directed his footsteps and he met a man who spoke to
him of Christians, and of their belief in life beyond the grave. This
so stirred the young Clement that he immediately moved from Rome to
Judea so that there, in the cradle of the Christian Faith itself, he
might come to uncontestable knowledge regarding life beyond the grave.
When he heard the preaching of the Apostle Peter, based entirely on
Christ's Resurrection from the dead, Clement despised the conjectures
of philosophy and sincerely adopted the Christian Faith. He was
baptized, and dedicated himself totally to the service of the Church
of God. As it was then, so it is today-he who has a strong faith in
the resurrected Christ, and a clear knowledge of life beyond death and
judgment, easily decides to pay the price for entry into that life;
that is, the fulfilling of all God's commandments.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the wondrous creation of the world (Genesis 2):
1. How the Lord God created man, and woman from man;
2. How Adam and Eve were naked and were not ashamed, for they did not
yet know sin.
Homily
On the purpose of the
apportionment of gifts, ministries and callings
… For
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).
This is why the Holy Spirit apportioned the gifts, and made some
apostles, others prophets, others evangelists, and others pastors and
teachers: that the saints, the faithful Christians, become
perfected. As in a household, honor and service are apportioned, and
there is honor and service appropriate to parents, honor and service
appropriate to adult sons and daughters, and honor and service
appropriate to young children and servants-yet all serve together for
the benefit of one another; so it is in God's house, the Holy Church:
with every honor is a corresponding service, and the services of each
are beneficial to all. Thus the body of Christ, God's Holy
Church, is gradually and wisely built. Each of the faithful, assisted
by the others, grows and develops as a member of this body; grows and
develops in holiness and purity, and in a corresponding measure and
proportion to the whole great body. The whole body, from the beginning
to the end of time-especially from the Incarnation of God the Word on
earth until the Dread Judgment-is the Holy Church of God. The body is
worthy of immortality, the building is worthy of God. The eye of man
cannot see it from end to end, nor can the mind of man comprehend it.
The building is of chosen materials: living stones, eyes and hearts,
without roughness or ugliness, without corruption or change.
Everything is in its place, everything is most beautiful in its
entirety and in its parts. Here, brethren, is the goal of our journey!
Here is the meaning of our burning in the furnace of suffering! Here
is our life, better than all our plans and lovelier than all our
desires.
O Lord Jesus, our man-loving Lord, do not cast us away as inferior
material, but polish us and build us into Thine immortal body.
To
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December
10th
(New Style) • November 27th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyr James the Persian
James
was born of Christian parents in the Persian city of Elapa (or Vilat),
brought up in the Christian Faith and married to a Christian woman.
The Persian King Yezdegeherd took a liking to James for his talents
and skillfulness, and made him a noble at his court. Flattered by the
king, James was deluded and began offering sacrifices to the idols
that the king worshiped. His mother and wife learned of this, and
wrote him a letter of reproach in which they grieved over him as an
apostate and one who was spiritually dead. Yet, at the end of the
letter, they begged him to repent and return to Christ. Moved by this
letter, James repented bitterly, and courageously confessed his faith
in Christ the Lord to the king. Angered, the king condemned him to
death by a special torture: his entire body was to be cut up, piece by
piece, until he breathed his last. The executioners fulfilled this
command of the wicked king to the letter, and cut off James's fingers,
then his toes, his legs and arms, his shoulders, and finally his head.
During every cutting, the repentant martyr gave thanks to God. A
sweet-smelling fragrance, as of a cypress, emanated from the wounds.
Thus, this wonderful man repented of his sin and presented his soul to
Christ his God in the Kingdom of Heaven. James suffered in about the
year 400. His head is to be found in Rome and a part of his relics in
Portugal, where he is commemorated on May 22.
The
Seventeen Venerable Martyrs of India
They
were Christian monks who suffered at the hands of the Indian King
Abenner. Enraged at Elder Barlaam because he baptized his son, Ioasaph,
King Abenner sent men in pursuit of him. The pursuers did not capture
Barlaam, but captured seventeen other monks and brought them to the
king. The king condemned them to death and his men plucked out their
eyes, severed their tongues, broke their arms and legs, and then
beheaded them. Even so, the Christian Faith in the Kingdom of India
was strengthened all the more by the blood of these knights of Christ.
The
Venerable Romanus the Wonderworker
Romanus
lived a life of asceticism in the vicinity of Antioch. He never
kindled a fire or lit a candle in his cell. He reposed peacefully, and
was a miracle-worker both during his life and after his death. He
intercedes for barren women when they offer prayer to him.
The
Venerable Pinuphrius
Pinuphrius
was a contemporary of St. John Cassian (February 29) and a great
Egyptian ascetic. He lived in the fourth century and carried out his
life of asceticism in various places, always fleeing the praise of
men. He had many disciples, who strove to imitate the lofty example of
their teacher.
The
Venerable Nathaniel
Nathaniel
was a Nitrian monk. He prayed to God both day and night, and was
enlightened by the contemplation of divine matters. He neither left
his cell nor even crossed the threshold for a full thirty-eight years.
He entered into rest in the Lord in the second half of the sixth
century.
Reflection
When the
executioners severed the thumb of St. James's right hand, he said:
``Even a vine is pruned in this manner, so that in time a young branch
may grow.'' At the severing of his second finger, he said: ``Receive
also, O Lord, the second branch of Thy sowing.'' At the severing of
his third finger, he said: ``I bless the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit.'' At the severing of his fourth finger, he said: ``O Thou who
acceptest the praise of the four beasts (symbols of the four
evangelists), accept the suffering of the fourth finger.'' At the
severing of the fifth finger, he said: ``May my rejoicing be fulfilled
as that of the five wise virgins at the wedding feast.'' During the
severing of the sixth finger, he said: ``Thanks be to Thee, O Lord,
Who at the sixth hour stretched out Thy most pure arms on the Cross,
that Thou hast made me worthy to offer Thee my sixth finger.'' At the
severing of the seventh finger, he said: ``Like David who praised Thee
seven times daily, I praise Thee through the seventh finger severed
for Thy sake.'' At the severing of the eighth finger, he said: ``On
the eighth day Thou Thyself, O Lord, wast circumcised.'' At the
severing of the ninth finger, he said: ``At the ninth hour, Thou didst
commend Thy spirit into the hands of Thy Father, O my Christ, and I
offer Thee thanks during the suffering of my ninth finger.'' At the
severing of the tenth finger, he said: ``On a ten-stringed harp I sing
to Thee, O God, and thank Thee that Thou hast made me worthy to endure
the severing of the ten fingers of my two hands, for the Ten
Commandments written on two tablets.'' Oh, what wonderful faith and
love! Oh, the noble soul of this knight of Christ!
Contemplation
Contemplate
the wonderful Paradise of God (Genesis 2):
1. How most beautiful was Paradise, both within and without;
2. How all living things in Paradise were unconditionally submissive
to man and man to God;
3. How most beautiful were the first man and woman in Paradise,
conscious of God's presence and of God's authority.
Homily
On the perfect man
… Till
we all come in the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
The unity of the Faith, brethren, and the knowledge of the Son of
God, the Lord Jesus Christ the Savior, unites two men into one man, a
thousand people into one man, and many millions of people into one
man. The unity of Faith in Christ the Lord, and the true Orthodox
knowledge of Christ the Lord, unites men more strongly than blood,
more strongly than language, more strongly than all external
circumstances and material bonds. When many souls think as one and the
same, will as one and the same, and desire as one and the same, then
these many souls are as one soul, one great and mighty soul. Physical
differences in this case mean little, and are hardly to be taken into
consideration. Thus, the same souls are built up into a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. The
parts of the perfect whole are themselves perfect. Every Christian
soul is a part of the perfect man. Christ is the Perfect Man of
Whom the Church is the Mystical Body. He fills everyone who believes
in Him with Himself, according to the measure of the stature of
each. He is the fullness beyond all fullness, the living fount that
flows and fills every worthy space. Inasmuch as a man empties himself
of everything that is not of Christ, Christ will enter into him and
fill him accordingly.
O my brethren, deep humility is needed in addition to strong faith, so
that the Living Water may be poured into us. Even in nature, we see
that water easily irrigates the lowlands. So, the more lowly our
humiliation is before the Lord Jesus, the more willingly He pours
Himself into us, irrigates us with His life-giving Self, and fills us
as His vessel with the fullness of His immortality.
O Lord Jesus, Thou fullness of life, wisdom, beauty and sweetness,
help us to humble ourselves before Thy Divine Majesty, that we may be
made worthy of Thy visitation.
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December
11th
(New Style) • November 28th (Old Style)
The
Venerable Martyr Stephen the New
As at
one time Hannah, the mother of Samuel, prayed to God to give her a
son, so did Anna, the mother of Stephen. Praying thus in the Church of
Blachernae before the icon of the Most-holy Theotokos, a light sleep
overcame her, and she saw the Most-holy Virgin as radiant as the sun,
and heard a voice from the icon: ``Woman, depart in peace. In
accordance with your prayer, you have a son in your womb.'' Anna
indeed conceived and gave birth to a son, the holy Stephen. At
sixteen, Stephen received the monastic tonsure on Mount Auxentius near
Constantinople, from the elder John who also taught him divine wisdom
and asceticism. When John entered into rest in the Lord, Stephen
remained on the mountain in a life of strict asceticism, taking upon
himself labor upon labor. His holiness attracted many disciples to
him. When Emperor Constantine Copronymus was persecuting icons more
ferociously than his foul father, Leo the Isaurian, Stephen showed
himself a zealous defender of the veneration of holy icons. The
demented emperor accepted various obscene slanders against Stephen and
personally plotted intrigues to break Stephen and get him out of the
way. Stephen was banished to the island of Proconnesus, then taken to
Constantinople, chained and cast into prison, where he was met by 342
monks, brought from all over and imprisoned for their veneration of
the icons. There, in prison, they carried out the whole church typicon
as in a monastery. Then the wicked emperor condemned Stephen to death.
The saint foresaw his death forty days in advance, and asked
forgiveness of the brethren. The emperor's servants dragged him from
prison and, beating and pulling him, dragged him through the streets
of Constantinople calling upon all those loyal to the emperor to stone
this ``enemy of the emperor.'' One of the heretics struck the saint on
the head with a piece of wood, and the saint gave up his soul. As St.
Stephen the Protomartyr suffered at the hands of the Jews, so this
Stephen suffered at the hands of the iconoclastic heretics. This
glorious soldier of Christ suffered in the year 767 at the age of
fifty-three, and was crowned with unfading glory
The
New Martyr Christos
Christos
was an Albanian Christian living in Constantinople and a gardener by
trade. As he was selling his vegetables one day, he offended a Turk,
who then slandered him before a judge, saying that Christos had
promised to become a Moslem and then recanted. After interrogation, he
was chained and cast into prison. In prison, someone offered him food,
which Christos refused, saying: ``It is better that I appear before my
Christ hungry.'' After that, he pulled out some money he had concealed
under his belt and gave it to one of his fellow prisoners, requesting
that the money be used for several Liturgies to be celebrated for his
soul. He was beheaded by the Turks in the year 1748, and was glorified
forever in the Kingdom of Christ God.
The
Venerable Anna
Anna was
a woman of noble birth who, after her husband's death, was tonsured
into monasticism by St. Stephen the New. Emperor Constantine
Copronymus urged her to say that she had engaged in illicit physical
relations with St. Stephen, in order to humiliate him before the
people. However, this holy woman refused to join in the emperor's
intrigue against the saint, whom she venerated as her spiritual
father. For that, she was whipped and then cast into prison, where she
gave up her holy soul to God.
The
Holy and Devout Emperor Maurice
Maurice
was murdered with his six sons by Emperor Phocas in the year 602 (see
``Reflection'' below).
Reflection
Reading
the examples of perseverance in the Faith and generosity of the saints
of God, we also become persevering in the Faith and generous. When
Copronymus's men urged St. Stephen to reject the veneration of icons
to please the iconoclastic emperor, Stephen extended his hand,
clenched his fist and said: ``If I had in myself only a fist full of
blood, I would shed it for the icon of Christ.''
Emperor Maurice had six sons of which the sixth and youngest was not
yet weaned. For this youngest son, the emperor kept a special
wet-nurse at court who fed it. A terrible fate came upon Emperor
Maurice: Phocas ousted him from the throne and condemned him to death
together with all of his six sons. Before Maurice's eyes, his sons
were slain, one after the other. When the wet-nurse had to hand over
the emperor's sixth son to be slain, she genuinely felt sorrow over
the fate of the unfortunate emperor and his children, and in a moment,
decided to save the life of at least one of the emperor's sons. So,
when they sought the emperor's son from her breast, she gave them her
own young son and he was beheaded. Finally, the Emperor Maurice was
beheaded. The emperor's youngest son grew up believing his wet-nurse
to be his mother. However, when the wet-nurse revealed the secret to
him, he became very serious, then resolutely left the world and
withdrew to Mount Sinai, where he was tonsured a monk and dedicated
himself to God. He did this to requite that innocent young child who
was put to death in his place.
Contemplation
Contemplate
God's wonderful Paradise (Genesis 2):
1. How it was a kingdom of innocence, purity and righteousness;
2. How there was not a trace of sickness or death, for there was not
even a thought of sin.
Homily
On how the faithful
must grow
But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which
is the Head, even Christ (Ephesians 4:15).
Brethren, here is all that is asked of us on this earthly journey:
that we hold to the truth and that we live in love. Truth is revealed
by Christ the Lord, and the example of love is given in Christ the
Lord. Neither can one come to the truth apart from Christ the Lord nor
find an example of true love apart from Him. Seeing this only true
path to light and salvation in the confusion of many false paths, the
Apostle Paul reminds us beforehand: That we henceforth be no more
children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). Only God can reveal the truth; only God
can show true love. One man can know more than another man, but only
God can reveal the truth. Thoughts come to man like the wind, and
illusions can seem to be truth to him. Deluded by his own thoughts,
one man deludes another; deceived by illusions, one man then deceives
another; but truth is in God and of God. Brethren, Christ is our whole
truth and our whole love. When we think of Christ, we think of truth;
when we act according to Christ, we act correctly; when we love
Christ, we love Love itself. By Christ we live, by Christ we grow, by
Christ we become immortal and are glorified. He is our Head-not merely
the titular head of a group, but the actual head of a living body, of
which we are members. Adhering to truth and love, we are made worthy
to dwell eternally in this Body of Christ.
O Lord Christ, our most wonderful truth and our endearing love, enter
into us and receive us into Thyself.
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December
12th
(New Style) • November 29th (Old Style)
The
Holy Martyr Paramon and 370 others with him
In Asian
Bithynia, Governor Aquilinus fiercely persecuted Christians. Once, he
captured 370 Christians, brought them with him, and bound them at a
place where there was an idolatrous temple of the god Poseidon. Here,
the wicked governor tried to force them to worship and offer sacrifice
to the idol. Even though the governor threatened death for anyone who
did not obey his order, not a single Christian submitted. Just then, a
respected man by the name of Paramon passed along the road beside the
temple. He stopped beside the masses of shackled people and learned
what was happening. Then he cried out: ``Oh, how many innocent
righteous ones does this foul governor desire to slaughter, because
they will not worship his dead and mute idols?'' Paramon then
continued on his way, and the infuriated governor sent his servants to
slay him. The servants caught up to Paramon, seized him and pierced
his tongue with a thorn, then stripped him naked and stabbed his
entire body. Holy Paramon, with prayer in his heart, gave up his soul
to God. After that, the 370 martyrs, great as sons of God and innocent
as lambs, were beheaded and thus entered into the Immortal Kingdom of
Christ the Lord. They suffered in the year 250.
The
Venerable Acacius of Sinai
In his
famous book, The Ladder, St. John Climacus relates the life of
this saint. The young Acacius was a novice under an evil elder in the
monastery on Sinai. The irascible elder daily reproached and insulted
Acacius and often beat, tormented and maltreated him in every possible
way. However, Acacius did not complain but endured this all patiently,
with the assurance that it was beneficial for his salvation. Whenever
anyone asked him how he was doing, he replied: ``Well, as before the
Lord God!'' After nine years of obedience and torment, Acacius died.
The elder buried him and then expressed sorrow to another elder
saying: ``Acacius, my disciple died.'' ``I do not believe it,''
replied the holy elder, ``Acacius did not die.'' Then both of them
went to the grave of the dead man and that holy elder cried out:
``Brother Acacius, did you die?'' Acacius, obedient even after death
replied: ``Father, I have not died, for it is impossible for an
obedient one to die.'' Then, the evil elder repented and shut himself
in a cell near Acacius's grave where, in repentance and prayer, he
spent the remainder of his life.
The
Holy Martyr Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth
He was
an eminent pastor and teacher. He was beheaded for Christ in the year
182.
Saint
Tiridates, King of Armenia
Tiridates
was a contemporary of Diocletian. At first, he furiously persecuted
Christians, but God's punishment befell him and he went insane and
became like a beast, as had happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Tiridates
was miraculously healed of his insanity by St. Gregory of Armenia
(September 30). From then until his death, Tiridates spent his life in
repentance and devotion. He died peacefully in the fourth century.
The
Holy Martyr Apollonius
Apollonius
was a Roman senator. Accused because of his faith in Christ, he
confessed it before the entire senate, for which he was beheaded with
the sword in Rome in the year 186.
Reflection
God's
punishment often befalls sinners immediately after the sin, that the
sinners may fear and the righteous be encouraged. However, sometimes
it falls much later, suddenly and unexpectedly, that sinners may know
that God forgets nothing. Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up by the
earth immediately after their sin, but King Balthazzar saw the hand
that wrote his death sentence when he felt most fortunate at a banquet
among his friends and admirers.
A gravely ill soldier was brought to St. Stephen the New to be healed
by him through prayer. Stephen told him to venerate the icons of
Christ and the Holy Theotokos. The solider did this and was
immediately restored to health, and this miracle was spoken of
everywhere. Hearing of this, the iconoclastic Emperor Constantine
Copronymus summoned this soldier and questioned him. When the soldier
confessed that he received healing from the holy icons, the emperor
reproached him with fury for venerating them. The frightened soldier
repudiated the veneration of icons before the emperor and grew ashamed
of his faith in them. When the soldier left the court and mounted his
horse, the horse went wild under him, threw him off and trampled him
with its hooves until he gave up his soul. Behold: a punishment
immediately following sin.
King Tiridates, a persecutor of Christians, threw St. Gregory into a
pit and killed thirty-seven holy nuns, but no punishment befell him.
Later, when the king and his companions went hunting for pleasure, he
and his entourage were seized by sudden madness. The reason for his
madness and the means to restore him were revealed to his pious sister
in a dream. St. Gregory was taken out of the pit, and by his prayers
King Tiridates became healthy, repented and was baptized.
Punishment sometimes quickly follows sin as the day follows the night,
yet sometimes slowly, as year follows year. But it never fails to
come, except where repentance takes the place of punishment.
Contemplation
Contemplate
God's wonderful Paradise (Genesis 2):
1. How God adorned Paradise with every kind of tree pleasant to the
sight and good for food;
2. How God planted the Tree of Life in the midst of Paradise;
3. How God only forbade Adam to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil.
Homily
On the Church's compact
structure, similar to a body
From
whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which
every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part (Ephesians 4:16).
This word, brethren, is on the spiritual body, God's holy Church.
From Him, that is, from Christ, the whole body is fitly
joined together and compacted. The most wise Apostle cannot find a
better comparison for the Church than the human body. What the head is
to the human body, so is Christ the Lord to the body of the Church.
From the head, the nerves spread through all parts of the body, and
through the nerves, all the parts of the body perceive, feel and move;
and their life lies in this perception, feeling and movement. It can
be said that the head, through the brain and the nerves, is present in
every part of the body. If the head is cut off, every part of the body
becomes dead in an instant. Christ is present in every part of the
Church, in every faithful member of it. Through Him, each of the
faithful perceives the spiritual kingdom, feels love and moves aright
toward God. From Him, every member receives strength according to
the effectual working in the measure, that is, according to
function and gift. The Lord gives this strength directly, by contact,
by touch, by His personal presence. Love is a wonderful bond that
binds Christ to the faithful, the faithful to Christ and the faithful
to one another. Brethren, what happens to one part of the body when it
is torn away from the nerves that link it to the head? It becomes
inactive, insensitive and motionless: dead. This also happens with
every member of the Church who leaves the structure of the Church, and
thus severs his tie with the Head of the Church. Brethren, may God
preserve us from this calamity!
O Lord Jesus, the Source of life and love, do not allow any dark
power, within us or without us, to separate us from Thee and Thy Body,
Thy Holy Church that Thou hast purchased with Thy precious blood.
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December
13th
(New Style) • November 30th (Old Style)
The
Holy Apostle Andrew the First-called
Andrew,
the son of Jonah and brother of Peter, was born in Bethsaida and was a
fisherman by trade. At first he was a disciple of St. John the
Baptist, but when St. John pointed to the Lord Jesus, saying, Behold
the Lamb of God! (John 1:36), Andrew left his first teacher and
followed Christ. Then, Andrew brought his brother Peter to the Lord.
Following the descent of the Holy Spirit, it fell by lot to the first
apostle of Christ, St. Andrew, to preach the Gospel in Byzantium and
Thrace, then in the lands along the Danube and in Russia around the
Black Sea, and finally in Epirus, Greece and the Peloponnese, where he
suffered. In Byzantium, he appointed St. Stachys as its first bishop;
in Kiev, he planted a Cross on a high place and prophesied a bright
Christian future for the Russian people; throughout Thrace, Epirus,
Greece and the Peloponnese, he converted multitudes of people to the
Faith and ordained bishops and priests for them. In the city of Patras,
he performed many miracles in the name of Christ, and won many over to
the Lord. Among the new faithful were the brother and wife of the
Proconsul Aegeates. Angered at this, Aegeates subjected St. Andrew to
torture and then crucified him. While the apostle of Christ was still
alive on the cross, he gave beneficial instructions to the Christians
who had gathered around. The people wanted to take him down from the
cross but he refused to let them. Then the apostle prayed to God and
an extraordinary light encompassed him. This brilliant illumination
lasted for half an hour, and when it disappeared, the apostle gave up
his holy soul to God. Thus, the First-called Apostle, the first of the
Twelve Great Apostles to know the Lord and follow Him, finished his
earthly course. St. Andrew suffered for his Lord in the year 62. His
relics were taken to Constantinople; his head was later taken to Rome,
and one hand was taken to Moscow.
Saint
Frumentius the Enlightener of Abyssinia
In the
time of Emperor Constantine the Great, a learned man from Tyre by the
name of Meropius traveled to India. He took with him two young
Christians, the brothers Edesius and Frumentius. On the journey, their
boat was shipwrecked in a storm off the coast of Abyssinia, and the
wild Abyssinians killed everyone on the boat except these two
brothers. They lived in Abyssinia for several years, and managed to
enter into service in the imperial court of the Abyssinian king.
Frumentius began to preach the Christian Faith, initially very
cautiously, and was convinced that this land would be fruitful for
such preaching. The two brothers then took ship: Edesius to Tyre, to
his parents, and Frumentius to Alexandria, to Patriarch Athanasius the
Great. Frumentius explained the situation in Abyssinia to the
Patriarch, and sought pastors for those newly converted to the Faith.
St. Athanasius consecrated Frumentius to the episcopacy. St.
Frumentius returned to Abyssinia where, by his zeal and his miracles,
he converted all of Abyssinia to the Christian Faith in his own
lifetime. This great shepherd of the flock of Christ, the enlightener
of Abyssinia, reposed peacefully in the year 370 and went to live in
the Kingdom of his Lord.
Reflection
St. John
Chrysostom says: ``All is given to the Apostles.'' That is, all gifts,
all power, all the fullness of grace which God gives to the faithful.
We see this in the life of the great apostle, St. Andrew the
First-called: He was an apostle, evangelist, prophet, pastor and
teacher (Ephesians 4:11). As an evangelist, he carried the good news
of the Gospel to the four corners of the earth; as a prophet, he
prophesied the baptism of the Russian people and the greatness of Kiev
as a city and a Christian center; as a pastor, he established and
organized many churches; as a teacher, he tirelessly taught people
right up to and during his crucifixion, when he taught from the cross
until his last breath. In addition to this, he was a martyr, which is
also according to the gift of the Holy Spirit, and is not given to
everyone. And so we see in this apostle, as in the others, the
fullness of the grace of the Spirit of God. And every great work that
a follower of Christ performs must be ascribed to that grace. St.
Frumentius testifies this to us. When he returned from Alexandria to
Abyssinia as a consecrated bishop, he began to perform the greatest
miracles, thus converting great masses of people to the Faith. Then
the amazed king asked him: ``So many years have you lived among us and
never have we seen you perform such miracles. How is it that you do so
now?'' To this, the Blessed Frumentius replied to the emperor: ``This
is not my work, but the work of the grace of the priesthood.'' The
saint then explained to the king how he had forsaken parents and
marriage and the whole world for the sake of Christ, and how he had-by
the laying on of hands by St. Athanasius-received the grace of the
priesthood: miracle-working grace.
Contemplation
Contemplate
the spiritual fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3):
1. How the serpent provoked greed and pride in Eve;
2. How the greedy and proud woman transgressed God's command and ate
of the Tree of Knowledge;
3. How Eve sinned, not in the midst of poverty or need, but in an
abundance of all things.
Homily
On the ignorance and
hardheartedness of the pagans
The
gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding
darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance
that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart (Ephesians
4:17-18).
What is vanity, my brethren? All that is seen outside God, cut off
from God and done without the fear of God. What is vanity of the mind,
my brethren? To live and interpret life, not by God's law but rather
by one's own passing thoughts and desires. Whence, my brethren, does
this evil come to men? From hardness of heart and from inner
ignorance. What does hardness of heart mean, brethren? It means a
heart empty of love for God and fear of God, and filled with
lustfulness and fear of everything for the body's sake. Brethren, what
is born of hardness of heart? Ignorance-complete ignorance of divine
things, divine ways and divine laws; a heart completely dulled to
spiritual life and spiritual thought. What is the final consequence,
brethren, of hardness of heart and ignorance of divine truth? A
darkened understanding and alienation from the Living God. Darkened
understanding occurs when the mind of man becomes as darkened as the
body, and the light that is in man becomes darkness. Oh, such a
darkness! A darkened understanding is a darkened mind. A darkened mind
knows the meaning of nothing, or denies the meaning of everything. In
such a condition, a man is alienated from the life of God, and he
withers and dies like a body part cut off from the body. Such are the
pagans, such are the godless, and such are those of little faith or
false Christians. But even dry wood, when it is watered with the
life-creating water of Christ, comes to life and bursts forth in
greenery. Even the dried-up pagan world was raised up and brought to
life by Christ the Lord. How much more so would it be for repentant
Christian sinners!
Let us look at ourselves, my brethren. Let us do so every day. Let us
ask ourselves every day whether we have become darkened and alienated
from the life of God because of our vanity. Soon there will be death,
the end and judgment. The dry wood will be cast into the unquenchable
fire.
O Lord Jesus, our Mind and our Life, help us to think with Thee, and
to live with Thee.
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