The Lives of the Saints
1. THE SYNAXIS OF THE HOLY, GLORIOUS, AND ALL-PRAISED APOSTLES
Although each of the twelve great Apostles has his own particular day of celebration during the year, the Church has designated this day as the synaxal feast of all of them together, and with them Paul. These are the names and these are the days of the special celebration of the holy Twelve: Peter — June 29 and January 16; Andrew — November 30; James the son of Zebedee — April 30; John the Theologian — September 26 and May 8; Philip — November 14; Bartholomew — June 11 and August 25; Thomas — October 6; Matthew the Evangelist — November 16; James the son of Alphaeus — October 9; Thaddaeus (or Jude of James) — June 19; Simon the Zealot — May 10; Matthias — August 9; Paul — June 29. Let us also mention here how each of these most holy and most beneficial men in the history of the world ended his earthly life: Peter — crucified upside down; Andrew — crucified; James the son of Zebedee — beheaded; John the Theologian — reposed miraculously; Philip — crucified; Bartholomew — crucified, then flayed and beheaded; Thomas — pierced with five spears; Matthew — burned by fire; James the son of Alphaeus — crucified; Thaddaeus — crucified; Simon the Zealot — crucified; Matthias — stoned, then after death beheaded with an axe; Paul — beheaded.
2. THE BLESSED PRINCE PETER
A Tatar by origin and the nephew of the Tatar Khan Berkai. He heard the words of salvation from Bishop Cyril of Rostov, and those words clung to his heart. And when he further witnessed the miraculous healing of Berkai's son through the prayer of Bishop Cyril, he secretly left the Golden Horde and fled to Rostov, where he was baptized and where he gave himself with all his soul and heart to the ascetical struggle and the study of the pious faith. Once he spent the night on the shore of a lake, and in a dream the Apostles Peter and Paul appeared to him and commanded him to build a church in their name on that very spot; they also gave him the necessary money for that purpose. Peter indeed built a beautiful church there, in which he himself in old age, after the death of his wife, was tonsured a monk. He peacefully departed this life in deep old age on June 29, 1290, and his church became and remained a monastery, called the Petrovsky.
3. THE VENERABLE GEORGE OF IVERON
Born in Iveria, or Georgia, in the year 1014, as a kinsman of the Georgian kings. He received a good classical education in childhood, but his heart drew him to the spiritual life. He struggled ascetically under the famous spiritual father George in the Black Mountain. He fled to the Holy Mountain and continued his ascetical struggle in the Monastery of Iveron. He became abbot of Iveron. With the help of Emperor Constantine Monomachus he restored Iveron and covered the church with lead. That lead roof stands to this day. He translated into the Georgian language the Holy Scriptures, the Prologue, and the liturgical books. King Bagrat summoned him to Georgia to teach the people. He was received royally in his homeland. Everywhere he went he taught the clergy and the people. In old age he desired to end his life on the Holy Mountain, and he set out for it, but death overtook him in Constantinople in the year 1067. His relics were transferred to Iveron. Although he died on May 24, the Iberians celebrate his memory on June 30, considering him equal to the Apostles.
Hymn of Praise
The whole world was like a dry desert:
Through it flew the chariots of the Spirit —
The holy Apostles, of fiery appearance:
Through them the Most Holy Spirit rebuilt the universe.
Rivers of wondrous grace began to flow,
The dead desert turned to life.
The wondrous Apostles, rain-bearing clouds,
Simple men become sages, fishermen become heroes!
From the Ganges to the Thames they bore the torch,
From the Nile to the Pontus they proclaimed holiness,
From colorful Persia to rich Gaul,
Wherever feet walk or galleys sail —
Everywhere they bore the miracle of the Incarnate God,
Everywhere they proclaimed the name of the Risen Christ,
Without complaint and fear, without any confusion:
Mountains and seas were no hindrance to them.
The sword did not frighten them, nor persecution turn them back,
Nor all the hellish fire that blazed against them.
Truth led them, not a lying fable:
Christ is our life, and death a splendid gain!
So they spoke. What can be done to such men?
Crucify their bodies? Flay their skins?
This the world did indeed — but what harm did it do them?
— That they reign forever! — so God decreed.
“Christ is our life, and death a splendid gain!”
Reflection
Concern for the good of all men! That concern filled the exalted spirit and noble heart of the holy Apostles. Writing about the Apostle Paul, Chrysostom calls him "the common father of the world." "As if," says Chrysostom, "he himself had given birth to the whole world, so he was anxious, labored, and strove to bring all into the Kingdom." Truly, this title "common father of the world" is exceedingly lofty, but if it could be applied to anyone after God, it could be applied only to the Apostles of Christ. By their parental care for the whole world they were in truth the "common fathers of the world." There are many mothers in the world who care less about the good of their children than the Apostles cared about the good of their persecutors and enemies. His fiercest opponent, Simon the Sorcerer, the Apostle Peter saved from death twice: once when the people wanted to burn him and a second time when a dog was about to tear him apart. And consider how the world repaid these benefactors! As the greatest robbers and criminals. O how true are the words of Saint Cyprian, who says: "As long as we are in the body, everything that happens to us Christians is the same as to the pagans; the difference is only in spirit."
“As long as we are in the body, everything that happens to us Christians is the same as to the pagans; the difference is only in spirit.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous repentance of the robber on the cross (Luke 23:40), namely:
1. How the wise robber in his torment feels the nearness of God, repents, and prays to God for salvation, while the torment of the foolish robber leads him to blaspheme God,
2. How I too am a robber because of sin, and must be like that wise robber whom torment did not distance from God but brought nearer to God, to God and to salvation.
Homily
On the Power and Effect of Good Deeds
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men (I Peter 2:15)
It is hard, brethren, to argue with the ungodly; hard to converse with the foolish; hard to persuade the embittered. The ungodly and the foolish and the embittered thou wilt hardly convince with words. Thou wilt sooner convince them with deeds. Let them see your good works and glorify God (I Peter 2:12). To those who wish to argue with you, do a good deed, and you will win the argument. One deed of mercy will more quickly bring the foolish to their senses and soften the embittered than many hours of conversation. If ungodliness and foolishness and malice come from ignorance, that ignorance is like madness, which is most quickly restrained by beneficence. If thou arguest with the ungodly in his own mad manner, thou strengthenest the madness of ungodliness. If thou convertest with the foolish by mockery, the darkness of foolishness increases. If thou thinkest to convince the malicious by anger, thou kindlest the fire of malice all the more. A gentle and kind deed is like water on a fire. Always remember the holy Apostles and their successful manner of dealing with men. If the ungodly provokes thee, it is not a man who provokes thee but the devil; man is by nature pious. If the foolish reviles thee, it is not a man who reviles thee but the devil; man is by nature rational. If the embittered persecutes thee, it is not a man who persecutes thee but the devil; man is by nature kind. The devil provokes thee to long disputes and fruitless conversations, but from a good deed he flees. Do a good deed in the name of Christ, and the devil will flee, and then thou wilt at last have to deal with men, with real men: pious, rational, and kind. But whatever thou doest, do it in the name of the Lord.
O Most Gracious Lord, help us to do good and by good to conquer in Thy name. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“One deed of mercy will more quickly bring the foolish to their senses than many hours of conversation.”