The Lives of the Saints
1. THE THIRD FINDING OF THE HEAD OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
In the eighth century, during the fierce iconoclasm, the head of Saint John was transferred to Comana, the place of exile of Saint John Chrysostom. But when iconoclasm ceased, in the time of Emperor Michael and Patriarch Ignatius, in the year 850 the precious head of Saint John was transferred to Constantinople and there deposited in the imperial court chapel (see January 7; February 24; June 24; August 29; September 23).
2. THE HIEROMARTYR THERAPON, BISHOP OF CYPRUS
A monk and ascetic on the island of Cyprus; he was deemed worthy of the episcopal rank, but in the time of the persecution of Christians he was also deemed worthy of an even greater crown, the crown of martyrdom. His body rested in a church on Cyprus. When, in the time of Emperor Nicephorus in the year 806, the Hagarenes attacked the island of Cyprus, the saint appeared to the warden of that church, told him that the unbelievers would attack Cyprus, and commanded him to transfer his relics to Constantinople. The warden immediately did so. When the ship with the reliquary set out to sea, a great storm arose, but around the ship the sea was calm, and from the reliquary a fragrant scent spread throughout the whole ship and all around. Then the warden opened the reliquary, and all saw it filled with myrrh, which had poured from the relics of the saint. With this myrrh many sick people anointed themselves and were healed. In Constantinople a church was built over these wonderworking relics, which continued to give healing to all who drew near to them with faith. By the grace of God, the most severe cases were healed through the relics of Saint Therapon — those afflicted with paralysis, cancer, hemorrhaging, madness, blindness, withering, and various other afflictions.
3. THE HOLY MARTYRS PASICRATES, VALENTIO, JULIUS, AND OTHERS
Roman soldiers; they suffered for Christ in Dorostolum of Macedonia around the year 302. When Pasicrates' brother Papian, who had apostatized from Christ out of fear, approached him and began to urge him to renounce Christ and remain alive, Saint Pasicrates answered him: "Away from me, thou art not my brother!" Pasicrates and Valentio were beheaded together. The holy Julius said at his trial: "I am a veteran; for twenty-six years I faithfully served the emperor. If I have until now been faithful to the lesser, how should I now not be faithful to the Greater?" — that is, the Heavenly King. Then Nicander was brought before the prefect Maximus. Nicander's wife encouraged her husband to die for Christ. "Foolish woman," Maximus said to her angrily, "thou dost want a better husband!" The wife answered him: "If thou thinkest that of me, then command that I be executed now, before my husband!" With Nicander there also perished Marcian. His wife came to the place of execution carrying their son in her arms. Marcian kissed his son and prayed to God: "O Almighty Lord, do Thou care for him!" Then they were beheaded and passed over into the kingdom of Christ.
“I am a veteran; for twenty-six years I faithfully served the emperor. If I have until now been faithful to the lesser, how should I now not be faithful to the Greater?”
Hymn of Praise
Blessed Therapon suffered for Christ,
And therefore received two heavenly crowns:
As a hierarch of the Church and a bold martyr;
His body remained like an unfading flower,
To give fragrance to the world and to heal the sick,
To gladden the faithful and to comfort the sorrowful.
Thus the Lord glorified His glorifier,
The wondrous shepherd of the Slavic flock.
And the Lord did this, that it might be known and spoken,
That a violent death does not slay the saint,
But crowns him with a crown and proclaims his name,
Glorifying him immortally in both churches.
O Saint Therapon, glorified of God,
And illustrious martyr for the holy faith,
For the sake of the love of God, help us also
Before the heavenly throne with thy prayers!
Reflection
Certain uninstructed people think more about the end of the world than about the end of their own lives, although it is clear that for the one whose life comes to an end, the world too has come to an end. A certain brother, standing before Saint Seraphim of Sarov, kept constantly in his mind how he would ask the saint about the end of the world. Saint Seraphim read his thought and said to him: "My joy! thou thinkest too highly of the poor Seraphim: how can I know when the end of this world will come and that great day in which the Lord will judge the living and the dead and give to every man according to his deeds! No, no, this is impossible for me to know!" If even the saints did not know, how should sinners know! And why should we know that which the Savior Himself did not find it useful to reveal to us? It is much better to think that our death will come before the end of the world, than the end of the world before our death.
“If even the saints did not know, how should sinners know! And why should we know that which the Savior Himself did not find it useful to reveal?”
Contemplation
Contemplate God the Holy Spirit in the Mystery of Repentance and Confession, namely:
1. How that grace, when it touches the heart of the penitent — the penitent sees all the ugliness of his sin and washes it with tears,
2. How that grace, when the penitent confesses, enters the man as joy enters the sorrowful, as hope enters the hopeless.
Homily
On the Nearness of the Judge
Behold, the Judge standeth before the door (James 5:9)
In a single day, brother, thou canst gain all eternity. And in a single day, brother, thou canst lose all eternity. Thousands of days have been given thee on earth, that thou mightest determine thy own eternal salvation or thine own eternal perdition. But blessed a hundredfold is that day in which thou dost repent of all thine impure deeds, impure words, and impure thoughts and turnest to God with a cry for mercy! That day will be worth more to thee than a thousand other days.
What manner of blessed day is this? It is the day of self-condemnation. When that day dawns, a man who until then judged the whole world looks and suddenly sees himself as the greatest stain in this world of God. And he is ashamed before God, and ashamed before every man, and ashamed before every creature of God in the world. And shame begins to burn him like fire. And he then confesses and acknowledges: truly, I am the greatest stain in this world of God! Truly, all men are better than I! Truly, all creatures are purer than I! I am blacker than a charred coal, and until now I thought I was white! I am uglier than a frog, and until now I thought I was beautiful as an angel! Lord, Lord, Lord, have mercy on me a sinner, and wash me from the filth of sin, that I may begin to resemble, even a little, Thy creation!
Do not wait, brother, do not wait for that blessed day of repentance to come by itself! Thou thyself seize firmly the first day that comes to meet thee and say: thou art my blessed day by which I shall purchase eternal life! Do not wait, brother, do not wait, for behold: the Judge standeth before the door! That Judge is the Living Lord, Who created thee and has seen and counted all thy lawless deeds until now. In a day or two He may summon thee to judgment, where thou wilt have not a word of justification. Seize the day! Seize the day for repentance! Seize the day before death has seized thee! Behold, the Judge standeth before the door!
O Lord, dread and righteous, prolong the sinner's days until he repents. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Behold, the Judge standeth before the door. Seize the day! Seize the day for repentance!”