Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYR TATIANA
Tatiana was a Roman of very illustrious parents. A Christian and a deaconess at the church. After the death of Emperor Heliogabalus, Emperor Alexander reigned in Rome, whose mother Mamaea was a Christian. The emperor himself was wavering and indecisive in faith, because of which he kept in his palace statues of Christ and Apollo, and of Abraham and Orpheus. His chieftains persecuted Christians even without the emperor's command. When they brought the virgin Tatiana to torture, she prayed to God for her tormentors. And behold, their eyes were opened, and they saw four angels around the martyr. Seeing this, eight of them believed in Christ, for which they too were tortured and killed. They continued to torture Holy Tatiana: they flogged her, cut off her flesh, scraped her with iron, and thus all disfigured and bloodied they threw her in the evening into the dungeon so that the next day they might again subject her to new torments. But God sent His angels to the dungeon, and they encouraged her and healed her wounds, so that Tatiana appeared before her tormentors every morning completely healthy. They threw her before a lion, but the lion fawned around her and did her no harm. They cut off her hair, thinking, according to their impious mind, that some sorcery, some magical power was hidden in her hair. Finally, they brought her out, together with her father, and beheaded them both with a sword. Thus ended her earthly life around the year 225, and this heroic virgin was crowned with the immortal wreath of glory, who had a weak female body but a manly and soldierly spirit.
2. HOLY MARTYR PETER OF AVESSALOME
Peter was born in Eleutheropolis, Palestine. In his youth he suffered for the Christian faith in the time of Emperor Maximinus, in the year 311. After many torments he was condemned to death. Having heard the death sentence, he joyfully cried out: "This is my only desire, to die for my God!" He was crucified on a cross, as the Lord Himself was, and on the cross he expired.
3. THE MILK-GIVER
This is the name of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which Saint Sava of Serbia brought from the monastery of Saint Sabas the Sanctified near Jerusalem, and placed in his cell at Karyes on the Holy Mountain. And thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Saint Sabas the Sanctified, spoken eight hundred years before, that a Serbian priest named Sava would come and to him should be given this icon and his staff. When Sava of Serbia visited the monastery of Saint Sabas the Sanctified, the monks remembered the prophecy of the founder of their community and gave to Sava of Serbia the icon and the staff. This icon was placed on the right side of the royal doors in the cell, and the staff in one cell called "Paterica," at Karyes.
4. VENERABLE MOTHER THEODORA
Theodora was a renowned nun and teacher of nuns from Alexandria. "Just as trees need winter and snow in order to bear fruit, so trials and tribulations are necessary for our life," said this holy woman. She reposed peacefully at the beginning of the fifth century.
Hymn of Praise
Do you mourn youth of body? O be reasonable!
Youth that passes—is it worth mourning, judge!
There is one youth, youth in eternity,
This is true youth, youth without old age,
This is worth seeking, worth shedding tears for it,
Even if it must be paid for with bodily death.
Tatiana bought dearly for a pittance,
For ashes and water, divine wine;
For a body that ages—immortal youth
And for a few tears—cherubic joy.
Betrothed to Christ, the immortal King,
She remained faithful to her Bridegroom;
By the power of a pure spirit she crushed temptations
And bravely endured terrible torments.
Around her were heard angelic footsteps:
Like a crumpled cloth she cast away the body,
And free in soul from earthly bonds
She rose to the wedding feast in the Kingdom without tears.
“For ashes and water, divine wine; for a body that ages—immortal youth.”
Reflection
On earth there is no greater honor nor greater calling than to be a Christian. When the judge and tormentor Severus asked the young Peter of Avessalome: "Of what lineage are you?" Peter answered: "I am a Christian." The judge asked him further: "In what rank are you?" To this Peter replied: "There is no greater nor better rank than to be a Christian." And Father John of Kronstadt writes: "All the world is a cobweb in comparison with the soul of a Christian man." A Christian is an earthen vessel into which divine power and light has been poured. Whether that vessel is placed on a golden royal throne or lowered into a dark beggar's hovel, its value is thereby neither increased nor decreased. Does not gold have the same value, whether you wrap it in a silk kerchief or in a cabbage leaf?
“Does not gold have the same value, whether you wrap it in a silk kerchief or in a cabbage leaf?”
Contemplation
Contemplate the meekness of the Lord Jesus, namely:
1. His meekness in the quiet life in Nazareth until the age of thirty;
2. His meekness in dealing with the sick and with sinners;
3. His meekness in dealing with Judas the betrayer and with unjust judges.
Homily
on how man is most beloved to God and God to man
I seek not yours but you (2 Corinthians 12:14)
By these words, which only the flaming apostolic love for one's neighbor could utter, is expressed the essence of the Christian's relationship to God and God's relationship to the Christian. God's love could say:
You, O Christian, fast for My sake; for My sake you distribute alms; for My sake you raise fervent prayers; for My sake you build churches; for My sake you offer sacrifices and do many other good works. All this is good, and all this is pleasing to Me, but you are dearer to Me than all of this; in the end I seek nothing of all this but I seek you, only you.
The Christian's love, however, could say:
You, O Lord, give me health, and that is good. You kindle light, send down rain, refresh the air with thunder, and that is good. You give wealth, and wisdom, and long life, and offspring, and countless other goods You abundantly place on the table of this life. And all this is good, and very good. And I receive it all with thanksgiving. But in the end this is only the hem of Your garment; in the end I seek nothing of all this but You, O Lord, You alone I seek.
O my brethren, God is not what is seen with bodily eyes, nor is man what is seen with bodily eyes. What is seen in all of nature is only something of God; and what is seen in the bodily raiment is only something about man. God is love, brethren, which lowers heaven to earth; and man is love, brethren, which raises earth to heaven.
O Lord, lover of mankind, Creator and Almighty, dwell more, and even more, in us by Your life-giving Spirit, that we may live, that we may live in the kingdom without death. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“God is not what is seen with bodily eyes, nor is man what is seen with bodily eyes.”