The Lives of the Saints
1. THE HOLY APOSTLE SIMON THE ZEALOT
One of the Twelve great Apostles. He was from Cana of Galilee. To his wedding came the Lord Jesus with His Mother and His disciples. When the wine ran out, the Lord turned water into wine. Seeing this miracle, Simon the bridegroom left his house, his parents, and his bride, and followed Christ. Zealot means one who is zealous. Simon was called the Zealot because of his great and fiery zeal for the Savior and His Gospel. After receiving the Holy Spirit, Simon went to preach the Gospel in Mauritania in Africa. After succeeding in converting many to the faith of Christ, he was tortured and at last crucified on a cross, like his Lord, Who had prepared for him a crown of glory in the immortal kingdom.
2. THE HOLY MARTYRS ALPHAEUS, PHILADELPHUS, AND CYRINUS
Brothers by birth, sons of a certain Prince Vitalius in southern Italy. Admirable in nobility, mighty in faith. They were tried for their faith in Christ, led from one judge to another, from one torturer to another. They were taken to Sicily and killed there, in the time of Emperor Licinius. Alphaeus had his tongue cut out. From the flow of blood Alphaeus died. Philadelphus was burned on an iron grate, and Cyrinus in fire. Their incorrupt relics were found in 1517. These three brothers appeared to Saint Euthalia.
3. THE VENERABLE ISIDORA THE FOOL-FOR-CHRIST
She lived in the fourth century and was a nun in a women's monastery in Tabennisi. She pretended to be mad in order to conceal her virtue and her ascetical struggle. She performed the filthiest tasks, ate scraps from the dishes, served everyone and everything, and was despised by all. At that time an angel of God revealed the secret about Isidora to the great ascetic Piterim. Piterim came to the women's monastery, and when he saw Isidora, he bowed down to the ground before her. She likewise bowed to him. Then the sisters told Piterim that she was mad. "You are the mad ones," Piterim answered, "but this woman is greater before the Lord than both I and you; I only pray God to grant me what is appointed for her at the Dread Judgment!" Then the sisters were ashamed and begged both Piterim and Isidora for forgiveness. From then on, all began to show honor to Isidora. But she, to escape honor from people, fled from the monastery and died in an unknown place around the year 365.
4. THE BLESSED THAÏS
Thaïs was a wealthy Christian maiden in Egypt. She resolved not to enter into marriage and distributed her property to the desert monks. When she had spent all her property, she gave herself over to a dissolute life. Hearing of this, the desert fathers entreated Abba John Colobos, and he came to Alexandria and began to weep before Thaïs. When she heard that the elder was weeping because of her sins, she immediately repented, abandoned both her house and everything, and followed the saint into the desert. One night, while she slept and John stood in prayer, John saw angels descend with a great light and take the soul of Thaïs. And John learned that her momentary but warm repentance was more pleasing to God than the years-long outward repentance of many desert fathers.
“Her momentary but warm repentance was more pleasing to God than the years-long outward repentance of many desert fathers.”
Hymn of Praise
In the desert the ascetic Piterim
Prays to God, and asks himself:
Is there anyone in the world equal to him?
Then an angel of God appeared,
And gently reproached Piterim:
— In thy thoughts thou dost exalt thyself, O elder,
As if there were no better in all the world!
Come, go forth, O elder Piterim,
Come, go forth to see an old woman,
Isidora, the supposed fool,
See her and marvel:
She does not separate her heart from God.
All her thoughts she binds to God,
Not like thee, who art here in body
But in thoughts at the ends of the earth!
Go and see all her struggles,
That thou mayest be put to shame by a woman!
And glorify the wisdom of God,
Who nurtures roses among the weeds!
“Go and see all her struggles, that thou mayest be put to shame by a woman! And glorify the wisdom of God, Who nurtures roses among the weeds!”
Reflection
In one of his prayers, Saint Ephraim the Syrian addresses God with these words: "On that fearful and terrible day Thou shalt say to us sinners, O Lord: You people know well what I endured for you... What have you endured for Me? — What shall I, wretched, cunning, sinful, defiled one, say to this? The martyrs will then point to their wounds, their tortures, the severed parts of their bodies, and their endurance to the end. The ascetics will point to their ascetical struggles, their long fasting, their vigils, their freedom from love of money, their tears, and their endurance to the end. But I, lazy, sinful, lawless — to what shall I point? ... Spare me, O Lord! Spare me, O merciful One! Spare me, O Lover of mankind!"
“The martyrs will then point to their wounds, their tortures, the severed parts of their bodies. But I, lazy, sinful, lawless — to what shall I point?”
Contemplation
Contemplate the action of God the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, namely:
1. How God the Holy Spirit makes the small great,
2. How He makes the fearful fearless.
Homily
On How the Righteous Man Endures Reproach Because of the Words of the Lord
The word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily (Jer. 20:8)
Who is it that mocks the prophet of God, the bearer of the word of God, the bearer of power and wisdom? His own people mock him, saying to him: thou preachest unto us a steep path; even if it is from God, we cannot walk upon it, for it is too steep for us.
Who is it that mocks the trumpeter of the voice of the Lord, when he sounds the alarm because of a fire that is smoking in the distance and approaching the city? The leaders of the people mock him, saying: why dost thou not shut thy mouth? It would be warmer for thee and clearer for us! That is not a fire, as it seems to thee, but a mist from the mountain dew!
Who else mocks and ridicules the man of God, when he comes from God and proclaims the will of God? His own wife mocks him, and his own brothers ridicule him. They say to him: thou art leaving thy work, which feeds thee, and pursuing another's work, which humiliates thee.
The word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Thus could the prophet say, thus the apostle, thus the martyr, thus every zealot of the word of the Lord and the law of the Lord. But neither reproach nor derision frightened any of them, nor turned them from their witness, nor led them from the path onto a byway. The whole world outwardly mocked and vexed them; but the Lord strengthened and gladdened them inwardly. And the Lord prevailed over the world; and therefore the saints of God prevailed over their mockers and scorners.
O all-gracious Lord, strengthen us too inwardly in our hearts, that reproach may not confuse us and the derision of the world may not disturb us, for the sake of Thy name. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“The whole world outwardly mocked and vexed them; but the Lord strengthened and gladdened them inwardly. And the Lord prevailed over the world.”