The Lives of the Saints
1. The Holy Martyr Emilian
In the time of Julian the Apostate, in the Thracian city of Dorostolum, there lived Emilian, a young man, a servant in the household of the city governor. When the apostate emperor began to destroy Christianity with fire and sword throughout the Roman Empire, the imperial envoy came to Dorostolum as well, to slay the Christians. But he found not a single one. Gladdened by this, he gave a great feast for the citizens of Dorostolum and ordered a great sacrifice to the idols and merrymaking throughout the entire city, day and night. That night, holy Emilian went about the idolatrous temples, marketplaces, and streets of the city and with a mallet smashed all the idols. The next day there was horror in the city. All sought the destroyer of their gods. A certain peasant was seized, having been seen that morning passing by the temple. When Emilian saw that an innocent man would suffer, he said to himself: "If I conceal my deed, then what profit is there to me from what I have done? Shall I not be found before God as the murderer of an innocent man?" He therefore presented himself before the imperial envoy and confessed everything. The envoy, enraged, asked Emilian who had persuaded him to do this. The martyr of Christ answered: "God and my soul commanded me to destroy those dead pillars which you call gods." Then the judge ordered him to be beaten with rods, and after the beating and other tortures, to be burned in fire. Thus did holy Emilian end his earthly life and depart to the heavenly one on July 18, in the year 362.
2. The Venerable Pambo
An Egyptian and an ascetic on Mount Nitria. A contemporary of Saint Anthony the Great, he was himself great in monastic asceticism. He was known especially for two qualities: that through long practice he had so bridled his tongue that he never uttered a single superfluous word, and that he never ate any bread other than that which he had earned by his own hands through weaving mats. He resembled an angel of God, and his face in old age shone as once did that of Moses, so that the monks could not look upon his face. He never gave a hasty answer to even the simplest question without first praying in his heart and reflecting. Once, Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria visited the monks of Nitria. Then the monks besought Pambo, saying: "Say an edifying word to the Pope, which would be of benefit to him." The silent Pambo replied: "If my silence does not benefit him, then neither will my words benefit him." Once, Saint Pambo was traveling with monks through Egypt. When they came upon a certain group of people who were sitting as the monks passed by, Saint Pambo addressed them and said: "Rise and greet the monks, that you may receive a blessing from them, for they converse unceasingly with God, and their mouths are holy." This wondrous saint clearly perceived the destinies of people both living and dead. He reposed in the Lord in the year 386.
3. The Venerable Paisius and Isaiah
Brothers by birth, of a wealthy family. Both were monks. One dedicated himself to asceticism in the wilderness, and the other to works of mercy toward people. Saint Pambo saw both of them in Paradise. Thus was the dispute among the monks resolved as to what is better — asceticism or works of mercy. Both the one and the other, when performed in the name of Christ, lead to Paradise.
4. The Venerable John the Long-Suffering
A recluse in the cave of Saint Anthony of Kiev. For thirty years he was tormented by the passion of lust, against which he fought unceasingly until he conquered it with the help of God and through the touch of the relics of Saint Moses the Hungarian (see July 26). Having conquered the impure passion, Saint John was illumined by a heavenly light from within, by which he could see at night as well as by day.
“If my silence does not benefit him, then neither will my words benefit him.”
Hymn of Praise
The monks asked Pambo the blessed:
Is it good, O Father, to praise one's neighbor?
Then Pambo was silent, and to the brethren replied:
It is good to praise, but better to be silent.
Again they asked Pambo: And who is perfect?
He who for God's will renounces his own.
The monks were silent, when one would say:
One more answer do not deny us:
And what clothing should a monk possess?
That which, when cast aside, no one picks up.
Thus the saint spoke, and closed his mouth,
For he guarded his tongue from speaking in vain.
All radiant, Pambo, at the hour of death,
When asked, spoke thus of his life:
I never tasted bread unearned,
Nor does my soul repent of any word.
“I never tasted bread unearned, nor does my soul repent of any word.”
Reflection
What is more pleasing to God: asceticism in the wilderness or works of mercy? Those who pray in the wilderness think that a man among people, no matter how many good deeds he does, can hardly preserve the purity of heart and the mind directed toward God. Benefactors of mankind, on the other hand, say: a man in the wilderness is too occupied only with his own salvation and does not help the salvation of others. Two Egyptians, two brothers by birth, Paisius and Isaiah, inherited a great estate from their parents, sold that estate, and each took his half of the money. One of them immediately distributed his money to the poor, took the monastic tonsure, and withdrew to the wilderness for ascetic struggle — to save his soul through endurance, fasting, prayer, and the cleansing of the mind from evil thoughts. The other brother likewise became a monk but did not wish to go into the wilderness; instead he built a small monastery near the city, a hospital for the sick, a refectory for the destitute, and a rest house for the sorrowful. And he gave himself entirely to the service of his neighbors. When both brothers reposed, a dispute arose among the Egyptian monks as to which of the two had fulfilled the law of Christ. Unable to agree, they came to Saint Pambo and asked him about it. Saint Pambo answered: "Both are perfect before God; the one who showed hospitality is like the hospitable Abraham, and the hermit is like the holy Prophet Elijah, both of whom equally pleased God." But not all were satisfied with this answer. Then Saint Pambo prayed to God to reveal the truth to him. And after several days of prayer, Saint Pambo said to the monks: "Before God I tell you that I saw both brothers, Paisius and Isaiah, together in Paradise." And with that the dispute was resolved, and all were satisfied.
Contemplation
Contemplate the wondrous experience of Balaam (Numbers 22), namely:
1. How Balaam set out to prophesy to Balak, the prince of Moab;
2. How an angel appeared on the way with a sword and prevented Balaam from going;
3. How the donkey saw the angel before Balaam did, and spoke to her master.
Homily
On the remembrance of the approaching departure from the body
"I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me" (2 Peter 1:13-14).
Here is a good admonition for lovers of the body who, on account of the body, have forgotten their souls. The body must be cast off. No matter how dearly we hold it, no matter how many precious things we hang upon it, no matter how much we caress and pamper it, we must one day cast it off. Oh, how powerful and true is this word — cast off! When the soul separates from the body, the soul casts off the body as something unnecessary. When the shipwrecked reach shore on a plank, they step onto the shore and cast the plank aside. When spring arrives, the serpent sheds its old skin and casts it off. When the butterfly flies out of its cocoon, the cocoon is cast off. In the same way the body too is cast off when the soul departs from it. No longer of any use and profitless, even harmful to other people, it is cast off from the house, cast off from the city, cast off from the sunlight — and buried deep in the earth. Think on this, O ye luxurious and adorned, proud and gluttonous!
But while the soul is in the body, it ought to make use of the body for its salvation, submitting to the law of God and doing the work of God. Do you see how industrious is the soul of the Apostle? As long as I am in this body, I will stir you up by way of reminder. God gave him this task, and he wishes to carry it out faithfully to the end, before he must cast off the body. Let us strive, brethren, both to receive the apostolic admonition ourselves and to admonish others as well — all others to whom we wish well. We all are swiftly approaching the shore of the other world, and swiftly the hour draws near when we shall have to cast off our bodies and appear before the Judgment of God with naked souls. What shall we say at the Judgment of God: to what ends did we employ in our earthly life that vessel of earth which is called the body?
O Lord Jesus, righteous Judge, direct our minds to think upon death and Judgment. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“When the soul separates from the body, the soul casts off the body as something unnecessary.”