The Lives of the Saints
1. SAINT ZACHARIAS, PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM
In the time of the Greek Emperor Heraclius, the Persian King Chosroes attacked Jerusalem in the year 614, plundered the city, carried the Honorable Cross to Persia, and led into captivity a vast number of Christians, among them the Patriarch Zacharias. The Jews aided him in inflicting harm upon the Christians. Among other Jewish acts of malice, this one is recorded: the Jews purchased from Chosroes ninety thousand Christians and slaughtered them all as their own slaves. The elderly patriarch remained in captivity for fourteen years. And from the Honorable Cross many miracles were manifested in Persia, so that the Persians said: "The Christian God has come to Persia." Later, Heraclius compelled the Persian king to return the Honorable Cross together with the patriarch and the remaining captives to Jerusalem. The Emperor Heraclius himself carried the Cross upon his own back into the holy city. Saint Zacharias spent his remaining days in peace and departed to the Lord in the year 631. The Patriarch Modest succeeded him on the throne, after whom came Saint Sophronius (see March 11).
2. VENERABLE TIMOTHY
Timothy was a hermit in a place called Symbola on the Asian Olympus. From his earliest years Timothy entered a monastery, was tonsured, and until extreme old age spent his earthly life in fasting, prayer, vigil, and unceasing labor. He remained pure and continent throughout his entire life. And to the pure and continent God grants authority over the spirits of malice, and so He granted it to Timothy as well. By his labor over his own soul, Saint Timothy succeeded in building within himself a wondrous dwelling of the Holy Spirit. This holy man reposed in the year 795.
3. SAINT EUSTATHIUS, ARCHBISHOP OF ANTIOCH
Eustathius was a great zealot and defender of Orthodoxy. As such he distinguished himself especially at the First Ecumenical Council, where he learnedly and methodically refuted the teaching of Arius. Together with the other Holy Fathers, Eustathius confessed rightly that Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, is equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit in divine essence. After the death of Emperor Constantine, the Arians once again gained the upper hand and began to persecute Orthodoxy fiercely. Saint Eustathius was deposed from his throne and exiled, first to Thrace and then to Macedonia. He suffered greatly and for a long time, until at last he delivered his holy soul to God in the year 345.
4. SAINT JOHN III THE SCHOLASTIC, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE
Having been a lawyer, he was ordained to the rank of priest and later became patriarch in the year 565. He wrote canons that were incorporated into the Nomocanon. During his time the divine hymn "Let Us Who Mystically Represent the Cherubim" was introduced into the Liturgy, as was likewise "Of Thy Mystical Supper." He peacefully reposed and delivered his soul to God in the year 577.
Hymn of Praise
THE HONORABLE CROSS
The saving Wood of the Cross, drenched in blood,
Long lay as if in a tomb, covered in darkness!
The Hero from thee dwelt three days in the gloom,
And thou three hundred years beneath the earth didst lie.
The Lord arose when He freed the forefathers from hades,
And thou didst arise when freedom reigned for the Church.
Then the Lord tarried yet a little while on earth,
And thou still shone for a time for the faithful,
Until thou hadst well helped to strengthen the Faith,
Until each one had learned to sign himself with the Cross,
Until the baptized had known by conscience the power of the Cross —
Thus didst thou also complete thy service with honor.
Yet though a thousand ages come and pass away,
Thine image, thy power, shall never perish.
Before the Honorable Cross the faithful pray to Christ God,
With the Honorable Cross they heal sufferings, they heal every pain.
Reflection
What is divination? It is three kinds of belief: belief in blind chance, belief in objects, and belief in the omnipotence of the spirits of darkness. By divination, events are foretold, the powers of objects are distinguished, and spirits of darkness are conjured. No faith has so decisively condemned and rejected divination as the Christian faith. No faith, save the Christian, is free and pure from divination. Other faiths are more or less composed of divination, and some consist of divination alone. Divination means the subjection of man to creatures and beings lower than man. Hence divination may be called faith in darkness. Therefore the Apostle Paul also says: "But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness" (I Tim. 4:7). Christianity is the faith of light in two senses: first, in that it raises man above chance, above all creatures, and above the spirits of darkness; and second, in that it subjects man only to the authority of the living, wise, and omnipotent God. There exists an all-seeing God, therefore blind chance does not exist. In spiritual union with this all-seeing and living God, man can be more exalted than all creatures and more powerful than all spirits of darkness.
“There exists an all-seeing God, therefore blind chance does not exist.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the Lord Jesus in conversation with the rich young man (Luke 18:18), namely:
1. How the rich man sought counsel but was not prepared for sacrifice;
2. How the Lord pointed him to the sacrifice necessary for the purchase of eternal life;
3. How the rich man went away disappointed, for he could not part with his wealth.
Homily
on fasting and prayer
This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29)
This is the saving prescription of the greatest Physician of human souls. This is a remedy proven and attested. And there is no other remedy for demonic possession. But what is this disease? It is the presence and dominion of an evil spirit within man — a malicious evil spirit that strives to utterly destroy both the body and soul of man. The boy from whom the Lord freed the evil spirit — this wicked spirit would cast him now into fire, now into water, simply to destroy him.
So long as a man merely philosophizes about God, he is powerless — utterly powerless against the evil spirit. The evil spirit mocks the impotent philosophizing of the world. But the moment a man begins to fast and to pray to God, the evil spirit is filled with indescribable fear. The fragrance of prayer and fasting he cannot endure at all. The fragrant divine aroma stifles him and weakens him to the point of utter exhaustion. In a man who only philosophizes about the faith, the demon has ample space. But in a man who begins to pray to God sincerely and to fast, with patience and with hope, it becomes cramped for the demon — too cramped — and he must flee from such a man. Against certain bodily diseases there exists but one remedy. But against the greatest disease of the soul — demonic possession — there are two remedies that must be applied simultaneously: fasting and prayer. The Apostles and the saints fasted and prayed to God. That is why they were so powerful against evil spirits.
O gentle Jesus, our Physician and Helper in all afflictions, strengthen us with the power of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may hold fast to Thy saving prescription of fasting and prayer, for our salvation and the salvation of our neighbors. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“The fragrance of prayer and fasting the evil spirit cannot endure at all.”