The Lives of the Saints
1. THE HOLY GREAT MARTYR MARINA
A native of Antioch in Pisidia, of pagan parents. Only in her twelfth year did Marina hear of the Lord Jesus Christ: how He was incarnate of the Most Pure Virgin, how He wrought many miracles, accepted death on the Cross, and gloriously arose. Her young heart was inflamed with love for the Lord, and she vowed never to marry, and further desired with all her soul to suffer for Christ and to be baptized in the blood of martyrdom. Her father came to despise her because of her faith and did not consider her his daughter. The imperial governor, Olybrius, learning from Marina that she was a Christian, first desired her to be his wife. And when Marina refused, he ordered her to bow down to the idols, to which Saint Marina answered: "I will not bow down, nor will I offer sacrifice to lifeless and dead idols, who neither know themselves nor know whether we honor or dishonor them; I will not give them that honor which belongs only to my Creator." Then Olybrius subjected her to cruel tortures, and all wounded and bloody, cast her into the dungeon. In the dungeon Marina prayed to God, and after her prayer the devil first appeared to her in the form of a terrible serpent, which opened its mouth over her head. But when she made the sign of the Cross, the serpent burst and vanished. Then a heavenly light shone upon her, and it seemed to her that the walls of the dungeon vanished together with the roof, and a cross appeared, radiant and lofty, and atop the cross a white dove, from which came a voice: "Rejoice, O Marina, rational dove of Christ, daughter of the heavenly Zion, for the day of thy joy is at hand." And Marina was healed by the power of God of all her wounds and pains. The senseless judge tortured her the next day with fire and with water, but Marina endured all as though in another's body. At last he sentenced her to beheading by the sword. Before her death the Lord Jesus Himself appeared to her with angels. She was beheaded in the time of Emperor Diocletian, but in soul and in power she remained alive in heaven and on earth. One hand of Saint Marina is preserved in the Monastery of Vatopedi on the Holy Mountain. In Albania, moreover, on Mount Langa above Lake Ohrid, there stands the Monastery of Saint Marina with a portion of her wonder-working relics. Numerous miracles have occurred and continue to occur in this monastery, witnessed not only by Christians but also by Muslims. So great is the reverence the Turks hold toward this holy place that they have never wished to touch either the holy things or the property of this monastery. For a time, a Turk served as the guardian of this monastery.
2. THE VENERABLE LEONID OF USTNEDUMSK
This Russian saint labored from his youth in several monasteries, in Solovetsky, Mirozhsky, and others. At last he founded his own monastery on the River Luza in the Vologda province. He struggled firmly until his soul was filled with the grace-bearing light and power of the Holy Spirit. As a great lamp he attracted many to the ascetical life. He was called "of Ustnedumsk" because once, when a venomous serpent bit him, he would neither think about it nor speak of it, and he remained alive. Having pleased God, he peacefully departed this life on July 17, 1653. His relics rest in his monastery.
“I will not bow down to lifeless and dead idols, who neither know themselves nor know whether we honor or dishonor them.”
Hymn of Praise
Holy Marina prayed to the Lord,
And with warm tears she strengthened her prayer:
"Lord Jesus, my God and my Savior,
Thou dost help everyone who trusts in Thee.
Be near to me, near to my soul,
When the faithless begin to destroy my body;
Be near to me, O strength of martyrs,
That I may endure the torments without fear or cry.
As a sheep I stand before hungry wolves,
Like a lonely bird before many hunters,
Like a wretched fish caught in a net —
But I gaze upon Thee, O Lord of salvation!
Let them tear my body like a cheap sack,
I will not, O Christ, renounce Thee;
I prefer torments with Thee to all rotten pleasures —
I bow, O Savior, only to Thy dominion.
Victor over death, the devil, and hell,
Through me renew those victories now!
For all things I thank Thee, O Lord and Savior,
Who dost help everyone who trusts in Thee."
“I prefer torments with Thee to all rotten pleasures — I bow, O Savior, only to Thy dominion.”
Reflection
Until Christ becomes everything to the soul — everything, absolutely everything, that has any enduring and unchanging value — man cannot go to suffer for Christ. How was Saint Marina, a fifteen-year-old maiden, able to go to suffer for Christ? Because Christ was everything to her, absolutely everything. How was Saint Julitta able to rejoice upon seeing her three-year-old son Cyricus dead for the Faith of Christ? Again: because Christ was everything to her, absolutely everything... Here is how Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk exhaustively speaks of how Christ is everything to man (in the form of a conversation of Christ with man): "Dost thou desire good for thyself? Every good is in Me. Dost thou desire blessedness? Every blessedness is in Me. Dost thou desire beauty? What is more beautiful than I? Dost thou desire nobility? What is nobler than the Son of God and the Virgin? Dost thou desire exaltation? What is higher than the King of Heaven? Dost thou desire glory? Who is more glorious than I? Dost thou desire wealth? In Me is all wealth. Dost thou desire wisdom? I am the Wisdom of God. Dost thou desire friendship? Who is a more loving friend than I, who laid down My soul for all? Dost thou desire help? Who can help besides Me? Dost thou seek joy? Who will bring joy if not I? Dost thou seek comfort in affliction? Who will comfort if not I? Dost thou seek peace? I am the peace of the soul. Dost thou seek life? In Me is the fountain of life. Dost thou seek light? *I am the Light of the world. *"
“Until Christ becomes everything to the soul — everything, absolutely everything — man cannot go to suffer for Christ.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous bronze serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21), namely:
1. How all the people would have perished from the bites of serpents had Moses not raised a bronze serpent upon a pole;
2. How everyone who was bitten by a serpent, as soon as he looked upon the bronze serpent, was healed;
3. How the bronze serpent prefigured Christ on the Cross.
Homily
On the Need for Repetition Upon Repetition
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth (II Peter 1:12)
A plowman plows the field. Does not the plowman repeat the same work every second? How would he otherwise plow the field if he did not from morning to dusk furrow after furrow?
A traveler walks the road. Does not the traveler repeat the same work, the same labor, every second? How would he otherwise cover the distance and reach his destination?
A carpenter planes boards in his workshop. Does not the carpenter repeat the same work, the same effort, with every board? How would he otherwise prepare the ordered number of planed boards?
Are not, brethren, all our useful labors composed of series upon series of repetitions? Let not, therefore, the preacher of truth grow negligent and say: "I have told them, and I will not repeat it!" Let not the listener of truth grow proud and say: "I have heard it once, and I need not hear it again!"
O preacher of truth, be not afraid to repeat and repeat; to teach anew and admonish anew. Without repetition the field is not plowed, the road is not traversed, the timber is not hewn. And thou art here to plow, to lead, to hew.
O listener of truth, be not proud and do not say that thou hast heard the truth once. Truth is food for the soul. Thou hast eaten bread today, and yesterday, and the day before, and for months and years. And thou wilt eat it again, so that thy body may be healthy. Feed thy soul also. Feed it with truth, the same truth, yesterday and today and tomorrow, until death. That thy soul may be healthy and strong and radiant.
O Lord Jesus, feed us every day and every hour with Thy truth — with Thee, O Jesus, sweet nourishment! To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Let not the preacher of truth grow negligent and say: I have told them, and I will not repeat it!”