The Lives of the Saints
1. THE HOLY MARTYRS CYRICUS AND JULITTA
This holy woman was of noble lineage. She was widowed early and left with a newborn infant, Cyricus. She lived in Iconium, a city of Lycaonia, and was wholly devoted to the Faith of Christ. She baptized her little son immediately after birth, and when he was three years old, she taught him the faith and prayer as much as a child of that age could receive. When Diocletian ordered the persecution of Christians, much innocent blood was shed in the city of Iconium. Julitta took her son and fled from the wrath of the pagans to the city of Seleucia. But it was no better there either. Julitta was seized and, as a Christian, brought before the judge. When Julitta courageously confessed her faith in the Lord Jesus, the judge, wishing to sadden and shake her, took the child into his arms and began to caress him. But Cyricus cried out at the top of his voice: "I am a Christian, let me go to my mother!" and began scratching the judge with his little hands, turning his face away from him. The judge flew into a rage, dashed the child against the ground and kicked him, and the child tumbled down the stone steps and surrendered his holy and innocent soul to God. Seeing how Cyricus suffered before her, Saint Julitta was joyful and gave thanks to God that He had deemed her son worthy of the martyr's crown. After many tortures Julitta too was beheaded by the sword, in the year 304. The relics of Saints Cyricus and Julitta remain wonder-working to this day. A portion of the relics of these saints is found in Ohrid, in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Hospital.
2. SAINT VLADIMIR, GREAT PRINCE OF RUSSIA
Named Basil at baptism. The son of Prince Svyatoslav, and grandson of Igor and Olga, Vladimir was at first wholly a pagan, both in belief and in life. Learning that other faiths existed, he began carefully to examine which of them was the best. For this reason he also sent an embassy to Constantinople. When the delegates returned, they informed the prince that they had been at a service in the Orthodox church, Hagia Sophia, and that they had been "beside themselves, not knowing whether they were on earth or in heaven." This moved Vladimir to be baptized and to baptize his people. The chief idol, Perun, was dragged down from the hill of Kiev and cast into the river Dnieper. Having received the Christian faith, Vladimir completely changed his life and exerted every effort to faithfully fulfill all the precepts of this faith. He ordered that churches be built throughout his realm in place of the destroyed idols, and he himself built a beautiful church to the Most Holy Theotokos in Kiev. This church was erected on the very same site where earlier Saints Theodore and his son John had suffered martyrdom for Christ (see July 12). With the same irresistible force with which Vladimir had formerly defended idolatry, he now spread Christianity. He reposed in the Lord in the year 1015.
Hymn of Praise
When idolatrous fury ruled the world,
Julitta suffered with Cyricus the child,
Two innocent victims, two new seals,
Two living witnesses of the Incarnate Word.
More precious than all earthly goods is truth;
The mother spared neither herself nor her son,
She spared not youth, nor wealth, nor strength,
And without hesitation followed in the footsteps of Christ.
He who knows truth is born anew,
Truth leads him to peace and to freedom.
Blessed Julitta felt the truth
When she was signed with the Cross and enlightened by faith.
Full of God's peace and true freedom,
She saw her dead son without cry or dread,
Without cry or dread she bowed her head beneath the sword —
By a martyr's death she glorified the Truth.
“He who knows truth is born anew, truth leads him to peace and to freedom.”
Reflection
Hospitality is honored in other religions as well, but Christianity has set forth hospitality as a duty and an obligation. On the other hand, gratitude for hospitality is no less a duty and an obligation for Christians. He who learns to be grateful to people for hospitality will know how to be grateful to God as well — for His hospitality. For what are we here on earth but guests of God? What indeed are even the angels in heaven but guests of God? It is recounted of King Philip of Macedon how he terribly punished one of his courtiers for ingratitude. The king sent his courtier across the sea to carry out a certain task for him. The courtier accomplished it and set out on his return journey by ship. A storm smashed the ship, and the courtier found himself upon the waves. Fortunately, it was not far from shore. A fisherman saw a man drowning, hurried to his aid in his skiff, and brought him to shore. After the courtier recovered and rested, he went to the king and told him of his misfortune with the storm at sea. The king, wishing to reward him, asked him what he would like to be given. And the courtier named that fisherman and asked the king to grant him the estate of that fisherman by the sea. The king immediately fulfilled his wish. But when the courtier took up residence on the estate of his greatest benefactor, the fisherman in desperation went to the king, told him everything, and complained. He had, he said, saved the courtier's life, and now the courtier was driving him from his house. Hearing of this, the king became exceedingly wrathful at the ungrateful courtier and ordered that on his forehead there be branded with a hot iron: "The ungrateful guest."
“What are we here on earth but guests of God? What indeed are even the angels in heaven but guests of God?”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous blossoming of Aaron's rod (Numbers 17), namely:
1. How God commanded, in order to quiet the outcry against Moses and Aaron, that the staffs of all the heads of the houses be placed in the tent of meeting;
2. How only the dry rod of Aaron overnight turned green and blossomed and brought forth fruit;
3. How God can bring to life even a human soul dead from sin.
“How God can bring to life even a human soul dead from sin.”
Homily
On Grace and Peace
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord (II Peter 1:2)
Through the knowledge of God, brethren, grace and peace are multiplied. But through the knowledge of created things apart from God, as severed from God, or opposed to God, sorrow and turmoil are multiplied, brethren. That sorrow and turmoil are multiplied among those who acquaint themselves with created things without acquainting themselves with God — is this not sufficiently attested by the multitude of suicides precisely among those who have chosen as their vocation the study of nature and human life without God? O how great a multitude among them of souls that are nervous, irritable, embittered, darkened, and maddened, whom only a day or a month separates from suicide!
Through the knowledge of God, however, grace and peace are multiplied. This the Apostle experienced personally, and his precious experience he passes on to others.
Neither grace nor peace are gifts of the earth, but gifts of heaven. These gifts God bestows upon those who strive to increase their knowledge of Him.
What is the swiftest path to the knowledge of God, brethren? Undoubtedly, through Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the Revealer and He is the Revelation, the Sage and the Wisdom, the Teacher and the Teaching. From Him is grace, from Him is peace. He who comes to know God through the knowledge of created beings in nature and through the laws of nature, as the pagans do, does nothing wrong, but goes by an indirect and circuitous path, a path on which many go astray and are lost. He who comes to know God through conscience and the destinies of men, as the moralists do, does nothing wrong, but he too goes by an indirect and difficult path, and may go astray and be lost. But he who comes to know God by coming to know the Lord Christ, he is on the shortest and surest path.
O Lord Jesus, help us on the path toward Thee and Thy Father and the Holy Spirit. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Through the knowledge of created things without God, how great a multitude of souls nervous, irritable, embittered, darkened, and maddened!”