The Lives of the Saints
1. THE HIEROMARTYR TIMOTHY, BISHOP OF PRUSA
Because of the great purity of his soul, God gave him the gift of wonderworking, so that he healed all diseases and afflictions in men. In the time of the wicked Emperor Julian, who renounced Christ, holy Timothy was cast into prison. The faithful visited him even in prison, in order to hear wise instruction from their archpastor. Learning of this, Julian ordered the executioner to cut off his head in the prison in the year 362. His soul went to Paradise, and his relics remained wonderworking, to help men and to manifest the power of God.
2. THE HOLY MARTYRS ALEXANDER AND ANTONINA
They were both from Alexandria — Antonina, an honorable maiden, and Alexander, an imperial soldier. Both were Christians. First Antonina was brought to trial and to torture. When she was cast into prison, Alexander, by the command of an angel of God, went to the prison (although until then unknown to Antonina), wrapped her in his military cloak, told her to bow her head and go past the guards at the doors. Thus the maiden escaped, and the soldier remained in the prison. Then Alexander was brought before the judge and they began to torture him for the name of Christ. Hearing of this, Antonina presented herself to the judge, who began to subject them both to various tortures. He cut off their hands, then beat them on their naked bodies, and burned their wounds with candles, and finally cast them into a fire that had been kindled in a pit and covered them with earth. They suffered honorably for the love of Christ and departed to the courts of the heavenly King on May 3, 313. The malicious judge, Festus, at the moment of the martyrs' death, became mute, and a mad spirit seized him which tormented him for seven days and finally killed him.
3. SAINT BASSIAN, BISHOP OF LODI
Born a pagan in Syracuse of pagan parents, distinguished and wealthy. Educated in philosophy in Rome. By his own ardent desire he was baptized by a certain pious elder Gordian. This offended his parents, and to escape their wrath, by the command of Saint John the Theologian, who appeared to him, he went to Ravenna and presented himself to Bishop Ursus, his kinsman. At the bishop's direction, Bassian settled near the Church of the holy martyr Apollinaris outside the city, and there he struggled for a long time with labor, fasting, and prayer. When the bishop of the city of Lodi in Liguria died, Bassian was chosen, in accordance with a certain revelation in a dream, although he did not wish it. He was consecrated as a hierarch by Ambrose of Milan and Ursus of Ravenna. He had great grace of healing; he could even raise the dead. He was present at the last hours of Saint Ambrose and heard from his lips how he saw the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived in labor and ascetical struggle to a ripe old age, and in the ninetieth year of his life he departed and went to the Kingdom of God, around the year 409. His holy relics remained wonderworking, to bear witness to the power of God and the greatness of God's saint.
Hymn of Praise
Holy Bassian loved the Lord,
Holy Bassian prayed to the Lord,
The merciful Lord gave him grace,
And Bassian saw through what all men do,
How the demons play their evil game,
And how they lead men astray to evil.
Once Bassian walked through the marketplace,
And saw a merchant measuring falsely,
While a black devil stood in the scales,
Measuring crookedly and counting wrongly.
The merchant was glad that he cheated all,
Making much profit with little merchandise!
Holy Bassian stepped toward the shop:
Merchant, he cried, open thine eyes!
Rejoice not in easy gain,
Open thine eyes, look at thy partner! —
Then the merchant's eyes were opened,
He caught sight of the devil, and leapt backward,
Filled with fear, filled with trembling;
All his gain, he saw, was accursed.
He wept bitterly and knelt before the saint:
Pray for me — he said to Bassian.
Repent, repent! — Bassian taught him,
Lest thy soul be eternally tormented.
To his partner the devil gives money,
But demands the soul in return.
“To his partner the devil gives money, but demands the soul in return.”
Reflection
It is not all the same to eat one's meal with a blessing and to eat it without a blessing. Every meal is the table of God, which God Himself has set for us. Therefore we ought to give thanks to God as the host and to ask for His blessing. Blessed food is both sweeter and more satisfying; while unblessed food is neither sweet nor satisfying and — unhealthy. Once Emperor Theodosius the Younger went for a walk in the environs of Constantinople, and seeing the hut of a certain monk, he stopped in. The elder asked the emperor whether he wished to eat something. "I do," answered the emperor. The elder set before the emperor bread, oil, salt, and water. The emperor ate and drank, then asked the monk: "Do you know who I am?" "God knows thee!" answered the monk. "I am Emperor Theodosius." The monk bowed to the emperor in silence. The emperor said to him: "I am an emperor and born of an emperor, but believe me, never in my life have I eaten so sweetly as today at thy table." "And dost thou know why?" asked the elder. "Because," he continued, "we monks always prepare our food with prayer and blessing; therefore even poor food becomes sweet for us. But in your case food is prepared with much labor, yet no blessing is sought, and therefore even tasty food becomes tasteless."
“We monks always prepare our food with prayer and blessing; therefore even poor food becomes sweet for us.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous healing of the man with the withered hand (Matt. 12:10), namely:
1. How the Lord said to the man with the withered hand: Stretch forth thine hand! And he stretched it forth,
2. How my hands too are withered whenever I do not give alms. The Lord continually says to me: Stretch forth thy hand!
Homily
On How the Sinner Is Overtaken by What He Fears
The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted (Prov. 10:24)
The ungodly man fears sudden death, the thief fears the burglar, the murderer fears the sword, the proud man fears shame, the robber fears hunger, the glutton fears disease, the slanderer fears the court of truth. What the ungodly man fears, that will come upon him.
The righteous man desires a clean conscience, right thoughts, peace, mercy, love, truth, justice, meekness. And God gives him these even while he is here on earth. The righteous man desires the Kingdom of God, desires Paradise, desires the company of angels and saints, desires to behold the face of God in the immortal life. And God gives him all this when He calls him to Himself.
O how righteous is the Lord toward the ungodly, and how exceedingly good is He toward the righteous! That which the ungodly man fears, the Lord removes from him. What does the righteous man fear? Only sin. And God removes sin from the righteous man and directs his feet upon the path of virtue; and God guards the righteous man from evil spirits, the sowers of sin, and with His grace waters the crop of virtue in his heart.
O All-seeing Lord, preserve us from the paths of the ungodly, and from the gain of the ungodly, and from the fear of the ungodly! Help our wavering hearts to be established in the desire only of that which is pleasing to Thee. For that which is pleasing to Thee shall in the end triumph and reign, and all else shall be given over to corruption and oblivion. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“What the ungodly man fears, that will come upon him. The righteous man desires a clean conscience, and God gives him these even while he is here on earth.”