The Lives of the Saints
1. THE HIEROMARTYR THERAPON, BISHOP OF SARDIS
He converted many Greeks to the faith of Christ, for which he was cruelly tortured by the pagans with hunger, imprisonment, and beatings. They laid him naked upon the ground and bound him to four dry stakes, then mercilessly beat him until the flesh was torn from his bones. Yet the martyr remained alive, and those four dry stakes turned green and grew into tall trees, from which many sick people received healing. At last Saint Therapon was slain like a lamb, in the time of Valerian, and departed in soul to the Kingdom, to behold the glory of God in eternity. He honorably suffered in the year 259.
2. THE HOLY MARTYRS THEODORA AND DIDYMUS
In the time of the wicked Emperor Maximilian, there lived in Alexandria a virgin named Theodora, of noble birth and upbringing. As a Christian, Theodora was brought before the pagan court. After prolonged tortures for the faith of Christ, the prince and torturer ordered that she be cast into a house of ill repute and that soldiers be permitted to enter and satisfy their bodily lust with her. Saint Theodora fervently prayed to God to save her from defilement, and while she was praying, a soldier named Didymus entered, told her that he too was a servant of Christ, dressed her in his military garb, and clothed himself in her woman's attire. Then he let her go out, while he remained in the house of ill repute. Afterward he was seized and brought before the judge, confessed that he was a Christian, that he had saved Theodora, and that he was ready to die for Christ. He was condemned to death and led to the place of execution. Then Theodora came running to him and cried out: "Although thou didst save my honor, I did not ask thee to save me from death. Yield to me the death of a martyr!" To this the holy Didymus replied: "Beloved sister, do not prevent me from dying for Christ and washing my sins with my blood!" Hearing this dispute, the pagans condemned them both to death, and both were beheaded, and their bodies burned in fire. They honorably suffered and received the crowns of eternal glory in the year 304 in Alexandria.
3. SAINT DAVID OF GAREJA
This David was one of the thirteen Georgian fathers (see May 7). He was so called because of the Gareja Desert, near Tiflis, where he practiced his asceticism. In old age David resolved, with several of his disciples, to visit the Holy Land. He therefore left the monastery in the care of the elders Lucian and Dodo and set out on the journey. When they reached a hill from which Jerusalem could be seen, David wept and said: "How dare I, with my sinful feet, tread upon the footsteps of the God-Man?" Then he told his disciples that they, as more worthy, should go and venerate the holy places, while he took three stones and turned back. But the Lord did not allow such great humility to be hidden from the world, and an angel appeared to Elijah, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and said to him: "Send immediately after the elder who is returning toward Syria; he has three stones, and he is carrying away with him all the grace of the Holy Land; one stone is enough for his blessing, but let him return two to Jerusalem; that elder is Abba David of Gareja." The patriarch quickly sent men who overtook the elder David and took two stones, and let him go. That third stone lies upon his grave to this day and has the wonderworking power of healing.
Hymn of Praise
The fair Didymus toward death was walking
And joyfully psalms was singing.
When young Theodora heard of this,
She rushed after Didymus out of the city.
With Didymus she disputed
And for death with him she contended:
— O Didymus, O my benefactor,
Let them first put me to death!
Thou didst save my maiden honor,
But thou didst take from me the martyr's crown.
O Didymus, thine be honor and glory,
But let this death be mine!
Stand aside, let the sword cut me!
To this Didymus said to Theodora:
— My sister, Theodora, O virgin,
Behold the joy I have always dreamed!
Behold the chance to die for Christ;
For thee it is enough that thou art a pure virgin.
In purity serve thou the Lord,
And let Didymus repay his debt to God!
Theodora would not heed his counsel,
Toward death she rushed ahead of Didymus:
— I too have a head for the cutting,
And I too need salvation for my soul!
O what a wondrous disputation!
O what a blessed contest over death!
But one sword can cut down two:
Twice it flashed and slew them both.
Now ranked among the heavenly hosts,
They help us with their prayers.
“O what a wondrous disputation! O what a blessed contest over death!”
Reflection
Bodily health is undoubtedly a gift of God. But bodily health is by no means the greatest good of this world, as many say and write. For whatever bodily health may be, it is transient; and that which is transient cannot be called the greatest good for man. Imperishable values are more precious than perishable ones, just as eternity is more precious than time. And imperishable values fall within the framework of the health of the soul. Father John of Kronstadt writes: "Ah, I myself feel that when I am in perfect health and do not exhaust myself with labor, I then die in spirit; then the Kingdom of God is not within me; then my body rules over me, and with the body — the devil."
“When I am in perfect health, I then die in spirit; then the Kingdom of God is not within me.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the grace of God the Holy Spirit in the Mystery of Communion, namely:
1. How that grace makes the consecrated bread and wine the living sacrifice of Christ,
2. How it acts within the bread and wine in a manner similar to how it acted in the body of the Most Holy and Pure One at the Incarnation of the Lord.
Homily
On the Grace of God Revealed Through the Ages
That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace (Eph. 2:7)
With the prophetic gift the Apostle Paul prophesied about the riches of grace that would pour out upon the human race through the ages. What the Apostle foretold, we who live nearly twenty centuries removed from the Apostle can verify in the ages already past. Just as beehives are filled with industrious and honey-bearing bees, so all the ages from Christ to this day are filled with grace-filled men, maidens, and women.
O how great is the wealth of the grace of God that has been revealed in countless souls who were first sinful and then became holy!
O how great is the wealth of the grace of God that has been revealed in men and women, at first weak and timid, who then boldly confessed Christ the Lord and joyfully suffered for Him!
O how great is the wealth of the grace of God that has been revealed through the ages upon the simple and unlearned, who then became true sages and spiritual generals of the armies of Christ's faithful!
And consider, brethren, how much hidden holiness, unrevealed self-sacrifice, unrecorded heroism, and unpraised virtue lies in the depths of twenty Christian centuries! When all this is revealed — all that has been in the ages past and in those that will come until the end of time — then both angels and men will marvel before the ineffable riches of the grace of God. Then even the Apostle Paul himself will have to exclaim: though I was an Apostle, still my word was too feeble to express the full immensity of the riches of the grace of God, which has been manifested in the world with such love for mankind.
O Most Holy Trinity, our God Who lovest mankind, lift up our hearts, that we may ceaselessly glorify and praise the exceeding riches of Thy grace. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Consider, brethren, how much hidden holiness, unrevealed self-sacrifice, unrecorded heroism, and unpraised virtue lies in the depths of twenty Christian centuries!”