Lives of the Saints
1. SAINT ARTEMON, BISHOP OF SELEUCIA
Born and raised in Seleucia. When the Apostle Paul came to that city, he saw Artemon, strengthened him further in the faith of Christ, and appointed him bishop of that city. Artemon governed the rational flock of Christ with love and zeal, was a physician of souls and bodies of men, and departed to eternity in deep old age.
2. VENERABLE JAMES THE CONFESSOR
He suffered for icons at the hands of Emperor Leo the Armenian. He was a monk and brother of the Studite Monastery. When the great Theodore the Studite was in exile, this James was subjected to great torments that he might renounce the veneration of icons. But he remained steadfast and faithful to Orthodoxy to the end. Beaten and tormented, they returned him to the monastery when the wicked Emperor Leo met a wicked end. In the monastery he died from the severe beatings and departed among the citizens of heaven.
3. PRIEST-MARTYR PARTHENIUS, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE
A native of the island of Mytilene. He was bishop of Chios for a long time. Afterward he was elected Patriarch. But on the basis of false accusations — as if he had worked against the state — the Turks first urged him to convert to Islam, and when he decisively refused, they hanged him in the year 1657.
4. THE MIRACLE AT THE CAVES MONASTERY
Two friends, John and Sergius, swore brotherhood before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in that monastery. John was a wealthy man and had a five-year-old son Zacharias. John fell ill and before his death entrusted his son to Sergius's care, and left Sergius a considerable amount of silver and gold to keep, with the stipulation that he should hand it over to Zacharias when he came of age. But when Zacharias came of age, Sergius denied having received anything from the deceased John. Then Zacharias said to him: let him swear before that same icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, before which he had sworn brotherhood with his late father, that he had received nothing from John, and then nothing would be demanded of him. Sergius agreed. But when he swore the oath and tried to approach to kiss the icon, some force held him back and would not permit it. Then suddenly he began to cry out demoniacally: "Holy fathers Anthony and Theodosius, do not let this merciless angel destroy me!" For a demon had attacked him by God's permission. He then revealed all the money that John had left. But when they opened it, they found the sum doubled. That sum was doubled by God's Providence. Having received the money, Zacharias gave it to the monastery, himself took monastic tonsure there, lived for a long time, was deemed worthy of great gifts of God, and departed in peace to eternity.
5. VENERABLE ZACHARIAS
Son of Carion the Egyptian, who left his wife and children and became a monk. His father took Zacharias to himself, since his mother was unable to feed him. Although younger than many elders in Scetis, he was deemed worthy of greater gifts of grace than many elders. By the grace of God he felt as if his entire interior were on fire. To the question of Saint Macarius, who is the true monk, Zacharias answered: "He who continuously compels himself to the commandments of God." And to the question of Abba Moses, what it means to be a monk, Zacharias took off his skufia and trampled it underfoot and said: "If a man is not thus crushed, he cannot be a monk!" He was a great luminary among the monks of the desert, and fell asleep in the Lord while still young.
“He who continuously compels himself to the commandments of God — that is the true monk.”
Hymn of Praise
VENERABLE ZACHARIAS
"What profiteth a man, Thou, O Lord, hast said,
To gain all the wide world as his possession,
When he must die today or tomorrow,
And the acquired wealth outlive him!
What profiteth it that he set a crown upon his head
When he must leave it behind him!
What profiteth gold and piles of silver
When grass grows through his dry ribs!
What help is silk, pearls, and delicacies
When the sun beholds him living no more!
If he lose his soul, what good is the world to him?
His body without his soul is laid in the grave.
His body and his soul, both dead,
Each hastens by its own path to its own tomb.
Two corpses then do men bury,
And for neither of them do they grieve bitterly.
O let him guard his soul who has any sense,
Thou hast given a clear warning to all.
The soul alone is that which can be saved;
All else in the world — and the world itself shall perish.
O dear Lord, since we know Thy counsel,
We need also Thy power and Thy help.
O help, Gracious One, our sinful soul,
Lest the smoke of worldly vanity smother it."
Reflection
Abba Daniel and Abba Ammoe were once traveling. Abba Ammoe said: "When shall we, Father, arrive at the cell?" (that is, so that they might pray to God). Abba Daniel answered him: "And who is taking God from us now? God is in the cell, and outside the cell — that same God." From this we learn the continuity of prayer, reflection on God, and contemplation of God's working in us and around us. The church makes prayer easier and stronger. In the same way, enclosure and solitude in their own manner also make prayer easier and stronger. But he who does not wish to pray — neither church nor cell will bind him. Nor will nature and travel be able to separate from prayer him who has tasted the sweetness of prayer.
Contemplation
Contemplate the Lord Jesus crucified on the Cross, namely:
1. Counting the drops of His most pure blood and counting my sins;
2. Counting His sorrowful sighs and counting my foolish days of laughter.
Homily
on faithfulness in suffering and the crown of life
**Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer... Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life** (Rev. 2:10)
By His suffering the Lord has lightened our sufferings. He endured the greatest torments and came out as conqueror; therefore He can encourage us in our small suffering. He suffered and endured on account of righteousness, while we suffer and endure as expiation for our sins. Therefore He doubly can admonish us to endure to the end, as He — the sinless One — endured. No one of us helped Him or lightened His sufferings and endurance, yet He stands by each of us when we suffer, and lightens our torments and afflictions. Therefore He has the right to say to every sufferer for His name's sake: fear not! Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer, He says, for I have borne all sufferings and I know them; and I was not afraid of a single suffering, but took them all upon Myself and at last — overcame them all. I overcame them not by casting them off or fleeing from them, but by voluntarily taking all of them upon Myself and bearing them all to the end. So do thou also voluntarily accept sufferings upon thyself, and I see and know how much thou canst bear and how far.
And if sufferings should last even unto death itself, and if they should even cause thee death, fear not still: I will give thee a crown of life. I will crown thee with immortal, eternal life, in which I reign with the Father and the life-giving Spirit. God sent thee to earth not that thou mightest live pleasantly, but that thou mightest prepare for immortal life. It would be a great pity if thy Creator could not give thee a better, longer, and brighter life than this one on earth, which reeks entirely of decay and death, and which is shorter than the life of ravens.
O my brethren, let us hearken to the word of the Lord, and all our sufferings shall be lightened. If the blows of the world now seem to us like hard stone — when we hearken to the Lord, they shall become like sea foam.
O Lord the Conqueror, teach us Thy long-suffering still more. And when we grow faint, stretch out Thy hand and sustain us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“God sent thee to earth not that thou mightest live pleasantly, but that thou mightest prepare for immortal life.”