Lives of the Saints
1. THE VENERABLE DAVID
A native of Thessalonica. He first struggled ascetically near Thessalonica in a hut built beneath an almond tree. Later he continued his ascetical struggle in Thessaly. He so purified himself by fasting, prayer, and vigil that he was deemed worthy to receive great grace from God. Once he took a live coal in his hand, placed incense on it, and censed the emperor, without any injury to his hand. Seeing this, the emperor bowed to the ground before him. By his numerous miracles he amazed the people. He reposed peacefully and departed to blessed eternity in the year 540.
2. THE FEAST OF THE TIKHVIN ICON
This icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was first in Constantinople, but seventy years before the fall of Constantinople, in the year 1383, it suddenly appeared in the air near the city of Tikhvin in northern Russia. Where it descended to earth, a church and monastery were built. After the city of Tikhvin it was called the Tikhvin Icon. Countless miracles have occurred through this wonderworking icon; especially many who were sick received healing from it.
3. THE FEAST OF THE HODEGETRIA ICON
This icon was painted on wood by the Evangelist Luke himself. The Most Holy Theotokos saw it and blessed it. Saint Luke gave this icon to the illustrious Theophilus, for whom he wrote the Acts of the Holy Apostles. From Antioch the icon was later transferred to Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem the Empress Eudoxia took it and sent it as a gift to Constantinople, to the emperor's sister, the pious Pulcheria. Pulcheria placed it in the Blachernae Church, her own endowment. Once the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to two blind men and led them to the Blachernae Church, before Her icon, and there She restored sight to both of them. Because of this the icon was called Hodegetria — the Guide. When the armies of the Persian King Chosroes and the Scythian Khan attacked Constantinople, Patriarch Sergius brought this icon out upon the city walls and carried it along the ramparts. And the Most Holy Theotokos then saved the Christians from the non-Christians. The enemy armies were thrown into confusion, the sea was agitated, their ships sank, and the surviving enemies took to flight. From that time the commemoration of this miracle of the Most Holy Theotokos was established on the Saturday of the fifth week of the Great Fast with the reading of the Akathist. During the time of iconoclasm this icon was transferred to the Monastery of the Pantocrator and there walled up in a wall, and a lamp was left before it to burn. As it had been walled up, so afterward it was found.
4. THE FEAST OF THE LYDDA ICON OF THE THEOTOKOS, ALSO CALLED THE ROMAN
Patriarch Gennadius sent this icon to Rome during the time of iconoclasm. It sailed there by itself, faster than any ship, and when the iconoclasts grew weary of their persecution, it sailed back to Constantinople by the same route.
Hymn of Praise
The Lydda Icon of the Mother of God —
Patriarch Germanus, a prisoner for the faith,
Sent it to the pope from Constantinople
When the East suffered for icons.
The icon set forth upon the surface of the water,
Swifter than ships that sail the sea,
Lighter than water and than the zephyr,
Over the crests of waves, not touching the water.
Long the icon remained in Rome,
Much time, many years,
Until the iconoclast emperors
Grew weary of their war with Christ.
And when golden peace gilded the East,
The Lydda Icon returned home,
Lighter than water and than the zephyr,
Over the crests of waves, not touching the water.
Two capitals, two martyred cities,
Knew the power of the Theotokos,
The most wondrous power of the Lydda Icon,
That raises the dead and heals the sick.
Reflection
Repentance is essential for a Christian unceasingly, until his last breath. "Examine and thou shalt see," says Saint Mark the Ascetic, "that the mystery of piety in the pleasers of God was realized through repentance." Repentance even at the hour of death! Such a case once occurred: an old ascetic and well-known spiritual father was dying and called a priest to commune him. Along the way a certain robber joined the priest and wished himself to see how a holy man dies. The holy elder peacefully received Communion and peacefully conversed with the priest. Then the robber began to weep and said: "Blessed art thou! Ah, what kind of death shall I be deemed worthy of?" The holy elder (suddenly becoming proud) answered him: "Be thou also as I am, and it will be for thee also as for me!" The robber turned back along the path, weeping and lamenting over himself. Then he fell and died. Then people saw a certain fool-for-Christ weeping over the holy elder and dancing and singing over the robber. When they asked him the reason for this, he answered: "By pride that one destroyed all his merits; by repentance this one gathered all the fruits!"
“By pride that one destroyed all his merits; by repentance this one gathered all the fruits!”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous healing of the bent woman (Luke 13:11), namely:
1. How the Lord laid His hand upon the bent woman, and the woman was made straight,
2. How my soul too is like the bent woman, curved toward the earth,
3. How the Lord can lay His hand upon my soul, that is, His Holy Spirit, and the bent soul will at once be made straight.
Homily
on the Fear of the Ungodly
The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion (Prov. 28:1)
The ungodly are afraid even of shadows; the shadows of trees seem to them like armies. Wherever anything rustles, the ungodly man thinks: the avenger is coming! The trembling of leaves he hears as the clinking of chains; the voices of birds he takes as the cry of hunters chasing game; the grass he regards as a spy upon his crime; the water as a witness against him; the sun as a judge; the stars as mockers. O my brethren, how many lies are born from fear! For fear too is from sin, sin from the devil, and the devil is the father of every lie.
Fear is the first fruit of sin. When Adam sinned, he hid from the face of God. And when God called him, he said: I heard Thy voice, and I was afraid (Gen. 3:10). Before sin, Adam did not know fear; nor did he hide from the face of God, but, on the contrary, he always hastened to meet God. But the moment he sinned, he was afraid!
But the righteous are bold as a lion. Without sin, without fear. Without sin, without weakness. The sinless are powerful, very powerful, and courageous, very courageous. The righteous are strong and fearless. Such are the righteous, only the righteous.
O sinless Lord, save us from vain fear, but before that preserve us from sin, the parent of fear. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Fear is the first fruit of sin. Before sin, Adam did not know fear. But the moment he sinned, he was afraid!”