Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYR POLYEUCTUS
The city of Melitene in Armenia was much drenched with Christian blood, as was all the land of Armenia. But the first blood for Christ in this city was the blood of Saint Polyeuctus, shed around the year 259 in the time of the reign of Valerian. In that city there were two friends who were officers: Nearchus and Polyeuctus. Nearchus was baptized, Polyeuctus unbaptized. When the emperor's decree about the persecution of Christians was issued, Nearchus prepared himself for death but was in great sorrow that he had not succeeded in converting his friend Polyeuctus to the true faith. When Polyeuctus learned the cause of Nearchus's sorrow, he promised to come over to the faith. The next day he told Nearchus his dream; the Lord Himself had appeared to him in light, took off his old garment and dressed him in a new, radiant one, and set him in the saddle of a winged horse. Then Polyeuctus went into the city, tore up the emperor's decree about the torture of Christians and smashed many idolatrous statues. He was tortured and condemned to death. When he was led out to the place of execution, he caught sight of Nearchus in the crowd and joyfully cried out to him: "Save yourself, my dear friend! Remember the covenant of love established between us!" And Saint Nearchus later ended his life as a martyr for Christ in fire. His feast day is April 22.
2. VENERABLE EUSTRATIUS
Eustratius was from Tarsus. A great faster and man of prayer. For seventy-five years in the monastery he did not lie on his left side to sleep but always on his right. During the divine service from beginning to end he would say within himself: "Lord, have mercy!" He died in his ninety-fifth year.
3. SAINT PHILIP, METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW
Philip was born February 11, 1507. Once standing as a young man in church he heard where the priest was reading from the Gospel: "No man can serve two masters," and he was frightened by these words as if they were being spoken exclusively to him, and was enlightened at the same time, and withdrew to the Solovetsky Monastery where after a long and difficult novitiate he took monastic vows. Having become in time the igumen, he shone like the sun, and all the Russian land heard of him. Therefore Tsar Ivan the Terrible brought him to the vacant place of Metropolitan of Moscow in the year 1566. But the holy man could not look with indifference upon the atrocities of the terrible tsar, but counseled him and fearlessly denounced him. The tsar found false witnesses against Philip, deposed him and ordered that he be dressed in simple tattered monastic robes, and imprisoned him in Tver. Skuratov, one of the tsar's confidants, came to Philip's cell and strangled him with a pillow. But soon by an evil death perished all those who had been against Philip. And after several years the saint's body was found whole, and incorrupt, and fragrant, and was transferred to the Solovetsky Monastery.
“Save yourself, my dear friend! Remember the covenant of love established between us!”
Hymn of Praise
Nearchus and Polyeuctus, soldiers of Caesar,
Became soldiers of the heavenly King,
One baptized with water, the other with his blood,
The second passed the first and became first.
O blessed be this rivalry
And this heroic haste to Christ's kingdom!
Polyeuctus cast away all that the earth anoints,
All that like the wind comes and passes,
And for brief torments purchased the lasting kingdom:
This trade turned out splendidly for him:
For immortal life—let the grass be mowed!
For passing torments—imperishable glory!
Pray for us, O warrior of Christ,
That not one soul of us may perish!
“For immortal life—let the grass be mowed! For passing torments—imperishable glory!”
Reflection
The Orthodox Church, teaching people perfect love, teaches them at the same time perfect obedience from which flows order and harmony among the faithful. Bishops owe obedience to the Lord, priests to bishops, the faithful to both. About this Saint Ignatius writes: "You are obliged to obey without any hypocrisy: he who would deceive his visible bishop would mock the Invisible One... I beseech you, strive to do all things in the unanimity of God under the presidency of the bishop, who occupies the place of God, and of the presbyters, who compose the council of the apostles... not thinking that anything would be right, which you do by yourselves, separately."
“The Orthodox Church, teaching people perfect love, teaches them at the same time perfect obedience from which flows order and harmony among the faithful.”
Contemplation
Contemplate all the virtues in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, namely:
1. How every virtue in Him is complete and perfect as in no one else in the history of the world;
2. How they all wonderfully complement each other, one supporting another, and one making another more radiant.
Homily
on concern for the salvation of our neighbors
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others (Philippians 2:4)
This is the principle of God's saints, both now and formerly, from always and forever. This is an edifying and social principle. On this principle can be founded the most perfect, most God-pleasing and happiest human society. A salvific principle for every kind of difficulty with which contemporary people struggle, struggle without victory and without hope. The holy soul cares for its neighbors, near and far; cares where the homeless will spend the night, how the hungry will be fed, with what the naked will be clothed. It cares and prays to God, that its neighbors may be saved; that they fill their hearts with love for God; that they direct their minds to God; that the wicked return from the path of wickedness; that the wavering in faith be strengthened; that the strengthened be maintained; that the departed see the face of God; that the living be inscribed in the Book of the Living in the kingdom of light. But beware, brethren, how in exactly the same way word for word can sound also a diabolical principle, destructive and antisocial: let no one look at his own body how to preserve it in purity from sin, but let everyone look at another's body how to defile it and destroy it. Let no one look at his own soul how to save it, but let everyone look at another's soul how to blacken it, slander it, impoverish it, ruin it. Let no one look at his own house how to build it and restore it, but let everyone look at another's house how to burn it and demolish it. Let no one look at his own granaries how to fill them, but let everyone look at another's granaries how to steal from them and empty them. See then, brethren, how this principle can be a principle of good and a principle of evil: a sword sharp on both sides; angel or Satan. Behold how this principle, in a satanic spirit and form, has gained momentum today in all directions!
O Lord, Holy Spirit, who hast sent these holy words into the world through the tongue of God's apostle, like bright rays of the sun, to illumine us and not to burn us, help us, that we may fulfill them in the true heavenly sense, to the glory of the Triune God and to the salvation of our souls. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“The holy soul cares for its neighbors, near and far.”