The Lives of the Saints
1. VENERABLE THEODORE TRICHINAS
A citizen of Constantinople and the son of wealthy parents. As a young man he left his parents, his home, and his wealth, and settled in a desert monastery in Thrace. There he gave himself over to the most rigorous ascetic labors. He slept on stones — so as to have less sleep — he always went bareheaded, and he clothed himself in a single garment of hair-cloth, on account of which he was called Trichinas, that is, "the Hair-Shirted." Because of his great self-mortification for the salvation of his soul, God endowed him with the great gift of wonderworking, both during his life and after his death. He reposed peacefully around the year 400. His body was shown to be myrrh-streaming.
2. VENERABLE ANASTASIUS OF SINAI
Abbot of Mount Sinai. He was first a monk for a long time under the renowned Abbot John of the Ladder (Climacus), and after the latter's death he himself became abbot. Besides being a great ascetic, he was also an eloquent writer of the lives of saints and of other edifying works. He waged a fierce struggle against the heretics called the Acephali (the headless ones), who denied the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon. He reposed in deep old age in the year 685 and departed to the Lord, Whom he had faithfully served.
3. BLESSED ANASTASIUS THE SINAITE, PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH
As a monk of Mount Sinai he was elected Patriarch of Antioch in the time of Emperor Justinian. To this position his virtue raised him, his purity of life, great spiritual learning, and firm faith. But Emperor Justinian fell into the Docetist heresy, against which the Patriarch of Constantinople Eutychios and this Blessed Anastasius sharply protested. The emperor banished Eutychios and wished to banish Anastasius as well, but could find no fault in his life. When Justinian died, having previously repented and restored Eutychios to his throne, then Justin, his successor, managed to banish Anastasius on the basis of certain slanders. Anastasius spent twenty-three years in exile and was again restored to the throne of Antioch in the time of Emperor Maurice. He governed the Church of God for six more years and completed his earthly journey in the year 599.
4. BLESSED GREGORY, PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH
An Armenian by nationality. He was abbot of the Monastery of Pharan, beneath Mount Sinai; and when Blessed Anastasius was driven from the throne, he was appointed Patriarch of Antioch even against his own will. Blessed Sophronios the Patriarch also writes of him most commendably in his Leimonarion (Spiritual Meadow). Gregory was distinguished especially by his exceeding great mercy, particularly toward sinners. He reposed in the Lord in the year 593.
5. HOLY APOSTLE ZACCHAEUS
He was first a tax collector and a sinner. But when the Lord saw him in Jericho upon a tree (Luke 19:1-9), He entered his house, which led Zacchaeus to repentance. Later Zacchaeus followed the Apostle Peter, who appointed him bishop in Caesarea of Palestine, where he faithfully served the Gospel and peacefully reposed.
6. VENERABLE ATHANASIUS OF METEORA
Born in the year 1310. He labored ascetically on the Holy Mountain. He founded the renowned Monastery of Meteora in Thessaly. He possessed the great gift of clairvoyance and wonderworking.
Hymn of Praise
VENERABLE ANASTASIUS OF SINAI
Anastasius, God-bearing father,
The labor of prayer and fasting upon himself he took,
Holding fast to long and persevering feats,
Until in spirit he came to know the mysteries.
Then he opened his honey-sweet lips:
— Christ, he said, is the rock of salvation.
Do not foolishly say: He lived long ago,
Where is He now, that He might speak to me? —
The Gospel, His holy testament,
Who could ever resist it?
It speaks to thee in place of Christ Himself,
For those are His most pure lips!
Again thou sayest: I wish to see Him! —
Gaze with thy mind and with thy whole heart
Upon the Holy Communion, of wine and bread:
There He is in body — what more dost thou need?
Repent, O brother, repent of thy sins,
A thousand deaths stand round about thee!
Before thy spiritual father confess thy sins,
Then drink His Blood and eat His Body.
Only repent. If thou dost begin with repentance,
Thou shalt live in righteousness and radiant hope.
Repent, O brother, repent of thy sins,
A thousand deaths stand round about thee.
“Do not foolishly say: He lived long ago, where is He now? The Gospel speaks to thee in place of Christ Himself.”
Reflection
Saint Anastasius of Sinai teaches: "To every Christian God gives an angel to guard him throughout his entire life (unless one drives the angel away by evil deeds). But just as smoke drives away bees, and a foul stench drives away doves, so do our sins drive away from us the guardian of our life, the angel: drunkenness, fornication, anger, and the rest... Every faithful person the angel guides toward every good deed, while the demons strive to tempt the faithful and deprive them of the heavenly kingdom..." That angels are near to men and care for men is witnessed by all of Holy Scripture, and especially the New Testament. Besides this, in the Orthodox Church there exist innumerable traditions of holy men and women that testify to what Saint Anastasius affirms, namely: that each of us in this life is accompanied by a gentle and mighty messenger of God, a soldier of the heavenly King, an angel of light. Who, save a madman, drives away a good friend from himself? Truly, only madmen and the utterly ignorant drive away by their sins their very best friends, their guardian angels.
“Who, save a madman, drives away a good friend from himself?”
Contemplation
To contemplate the risen Lord Jesus, namely:
1. How He, as the almighty Conqueror of death, does not take vengeance upon His enemies who tormented and crucified Him, but, leaving them to themselves, strengthens His frightened friends;
2. How even today, as in all times, guileless and meek, He does not hasten to take vengeance upon the faithless, but hastens to bring help to the faithful.
Homily
on the one and only foundation of salvation
**For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). **
The Jews say: the foundation is Moses. The Muslims say: the foundation is Muhammad. The shortsighted naturalists say: the foundation is nature. And we ask: did Moses rise from the grave? And did Muhammad ascend into heaven? And does nature give the Holy Spirit, the Comforter? Moses did not rise; Muhammad did not ascend into heaven; and nature not only does not give men the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, but breathes hatred against man, and snarls at him, and bares its claws. He who was conceived in sin cannot be the foundation of the world; he who himself committed sins; who wandered and sought counsel from women; who performed certain deeds by another's power; who rotted away in the grave, and whose name brings men into doubt concerning the way, the truth, and the life. And Muhammad and Moses were conceived in sin, committed sins, sought counsel from women, performed deeds by another's power, rotted away in the grave, and their name brings men into doubt concerning the way, the truth, and the life.
Therefore, brethren, we have no cause to look about in history and seek some other foundation besides the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was conceived without sin, Who committed not a single sin; Who did not wander nor seek counsel from anyone; Who by His own power performed mighty deeds; Who did not rot away in the grave, and Whose name does not bring men into doubt concerning the way, the truth, and the life.
The Apostle does not say that Christ laid some foundation, but that He Himself is that foundation which was laid. He is all righteousness, and therefore He is the foundation of all righteousness. He is all truth, and therefore He is the foundation of all truth. He is all wisdom, and therefore He is the foundation of all wisdom. He is all power, and therefore He is the foundation of all power. He is all good, and therefore He is the foundation of all good. He is all life, and therefore He is the foundation of life in both worlds, in this one and in the next. O risen Lord, Thou art the foundation of our salvation and of eternal life. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“He is all righteousness, and therefore He is the foundation of all righteousness. He is all truth, and therefore He is the foundation of all truth. He is all life, and therefore He is the foundation of life in both worlds.”