The Lives of the Saints
1. The Holy Great Martyr Procopius
Born in Jerusalem of a Christian father and a pagan mother. His original name was Neanias. After the death of his father, his mother raised her son entirely in the spirit of Roman idolatry. When Neanias grew up, Emperor Diocletian saw him one day and immediately took such a liking to him that he brought him into his court for military service. When this wicked emperor began to persecute Christians, he appointed Neanias with a detachment of soldiers to go to Alexandria and destroy the Christians there. But on that journey something similar to what had once happened to Saul befell Neanias. In the third hour of the night there was a great earthquake, and in it the Lord appeared to him, and a voice was heard: "Neanias, where art thou going, and against whom dost thou rise?" In great fear Neanias asked: "Who art Thou, Lord? I cannot recognize Thee." At that, a most radiant cross appeared in the air, as if of crystal, and from the cross came the voice: "I am Jesus the Crucified, the Son of God." And the Lord further said to him: "By this sign which thou hast seen, conquer thine enemies, and My peace shall be with thee." This experience completely turned and transformed the life of the commander Neanias. He had a cross made like the one he had seen, and instead of marching against the Christians he set out with his army against the Hagarenes, who were attacking Jerusalem. As a victor he entered Jerusalem and declared to his mother that he was a Christian. Brought before the judge, he removed his commander's belt and sword and cast them before the judge, showing thereby that he was only a soldier of Christ the King. After great tortures he was thrown into prison, where the Lord Christ appeared to him again, and baptized him, and gave him the name Procopius. One day twelve women came to his prison window and said to him: "We too are servants of Christ." Accused for this, they were thrown into the same prison, where Saint Procopius taught them the faith of Christ and especially how to receive the martyr's crown. For this reason Saint Procopius is mentioned in the rite of the crowning of marriage, alongside the God-crowned Emperor Constantine and Helen. Those twelve women were then terribly tortured. Watching their torments and their courage, the mother of Procopius also believed in Christ, and all thirteen were put to death. When Saint Procopius was led to the place of execution, he raised his hands toward the east and prayed to God for all the unfortunate and the suffering, for orphans and widows, and especially for the Holy Church, that it might grow and spread and that Orthodoxy might shine unto the end of time. And it was revealed to him from heaven that his prayer was heard, after which he joyfully stretched out his head beneath the sword and departed to his Lord in eternal joy. Saint Procopius suffered honorably in Caesarea of Palestine and was crowned with the wreath of immortal glory on July 8, in the year 303.
2. The Blessed Procopius, Fool-for-Christ
A wonderworker of Ustyug, who reposed in 1303. A Varangian by origin and a merchant by trade. Having come to Novgorod on commercial business, he marveled at the beauty of Orthodoxy and accepted the Orthodox faith. He desired to be a perfect Christian, and therefore he distributed all his possessions to the poor and began to exercise himself in all the other virtues. He pretended to be a fool so that people would not praise him, yet he saw into the hearts and destinies of men, as well as into natural events, which afterward indeed came to pass. By his tearful prayer before an icon of the Theotokos, he averted a terrible hailstorm from the city of Ustyug, and thus brought the sinful city to repentance. His body was found dead on the street, covered with snow. A church was built over his wonderworking relics.
3. The Venerable Theophilus the Myrrh-Gusher
A native of Macedonia, from the village of Zike. A very learned man and a great ascetic. By commission of the Patriarch of Constantinople, Niphon, he traveled to Alexandria to investigate whether it was true that the Patriarch Joachim had moved a mountain and drunk poison without harm, having been compelled to do so by Jews and Muslims. Having confirmed the truth of these miracles, Theophilus returned to the Holy Mountain, where he labored in asceticism, first at Vatopedi, then at Iveron, and finally in the cell of Saint Basil near Karyes. This holy man refused the offer to become Archbishop of Thessalonica. Through deep stillness, contemplation of God, and heartfelt prayer he succeeded in cleansing his mind of all passionate thoughts, so that he became a pure vessel of the Holy Spirit in whom Christ dwelt. Before his death he instructed his disciple Isaac that when he died, he should not bury him but should tie a rope around his feet, drag him away, and cast him into a stream. With great fear the disciple did so. But the Providence of God revealed the relics of Saint Theophilus, and when they were transferred to his cell, they began to exude wonderworking myrrh. He reposed on July 8, 1548.
“By his tearful prayer before an icon of the Theotokos, he averted a terrible hailstorm from the city of Ustyug, and thus brought the sinful city to repentance.”
Hymn of Praise
When it is the will of the all-wise God,
Persecutors become His servants,
Haters become wondrous apostles,
Atheists become zealots of the faith.
By the will of God Saul became Paul,
Neanias became Saint Procopius.
Procopius set out against Christ,
And came to his mother as a Christian.
He prepared torments, but himself received torments,
Suddenly he recognized the truth,
He bowed down before the Son of God,
He ceased to serve the earthly emperor.
He became the servant of the Heavenly King.
The Heavenly King endowed him with a gift,
The gift of power to help the afflicted.
As then, so also today:
By Procopius the afflicted are blessed,
For he helps today as he did of old.
“He prepared torments, but himself received torments, suddenly he recognized the truth.”
Reflection
Saint Anthony teaches: "Fear lest thou become famous for any deed of thine. If people begin to praise thee for thy deeds, do not rejoice in it and do not take delight in it: keep them secret as much as thou canst, and do not allow anyone to speak of them." How much more peace and joy there would be among men on earth, if at least a portion of mankind would take these holy words to heart! Saint Theophilus, even though he lived a secluded life on the Holy Mountain as a simple monk, was renowned in all the eastern patriarchates both for his learning and for his virtuous, ascetical life. It once happened that the Patriarch of Constantinople, Theoleptos, visited Thessalonica. The archiepiscopal throne in Thessalonica at that time was vacant. The Christians of Thessalonica unanimously asked the Patriarch to appoint Theophilus as their archbishop. The Patriarch, a countryman and friend of Theophilus, wrote a letter to Theophilus in his own hand, inviting him to assume the archiepiscopal throne. The humble Theophilus, fearing the glory of men and being unable easily to refuse the Patriarch, immediately received the Great Schema, and informed the Patriarch of this, adding: "If God grants it, we shall see each other in the Kingdom of Heaven." Thus did the spiritual giants, whom the Church calls saints, fear the vanity and glory of men.
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous turning of bitter water into sweet (Exodus 15), namely:
1. How the thirsty Israelites came upon bitter water at Marah and could not drink it, and the people began to cry out against Moses,
2. How God commanded Moses to cast a tree into the water, and the water became sweet,
3. How that tree prefigures the Cross of Christ, by which the bitterness of our life is turned into sweetness,
4. How my entire being is bitter water until I bring into myself Christ the Crucified.
“How that tree prefigures the Cross of Christ, by which the bitterness of our life is turned into sweetness.”
Homily
On the Living Stone
To whom coming, as unto a living stone... ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood (I Peter 2:4-5)
What does a stone signify, brethren, if not steadfastness? What does a stone teach us, brethren, if not constancy? A living stone, moreover, signifies immortality. The Apostle calls Christ the Lord a living stone, because He is the Immortal One and the Bestower of immortality. The Apostle also calls Christians living stones, as partakers of the immortality of Christ.
How do unbelievers think, brethren — what becomes of a man in the final analysis? They think that in the final analysis the same thing happens to a man as to a stone: a man dies, becomes insensible, and turns to dust. And a stone is already dead, insensible, and under certain circumstances turns to dust. And thus both the unbelieving and the believing compare man to a stone — the unbelieving because of the deadness and insensibility of stone, and the believing because of the durability and constancy of stone. For the former, a stone is a symbol of death; for the latter, a symbol of immortality.
In truth, without Christ men have been, and always are, like dead stones. But Christ is the living stone; only touch Him, and you too shall be as living stones. In building a house, a mason selects only those stones that are hewn and prepared to fit snugly against other stones in the wall; unhewn, unprepared, jagged, and crumbling stones he discards. In building the house, or temple, of His immortal Kingdom, Christ chooses men, as a mason chooses stones, with one quality, namely — that they be alive, spiritually alive. Spiritually dead men the Lord discards as rotten building material, and accepts only those who, as living stones, resemble Him and who fit snugly against other living stones, namely the angels, prophets, apostles, and saints in general. Let us endeavor, brethren, to be sacred building material for the sacred house of the Kingdom of Christ, which He builds day and night, to complete it fully at the end of time.
O Lord Jesus, Builder of the Kingdom of Heaven, enliven us by Thy Holy Spirit, and build us too as living stones into the house of Thy eternal glory. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Without Christ men have been, and always are, like dead stones. But Christ is the living stone; only touch Him, and you too shall be as living stones.”