The Lives of the Saints
1. SAINT MARY MAGDALENE
A Myrrh-Bearer and Equal-to-the-Apostles. She was from the town of Magdala, on the shore of the Sea of Gennesaret, from the tribe of Issachar. She was tormented by seven evil spirits, from which the Lord Jesus freed her and made her whole. A faithful follower and servant of the Lord during His earthly life. Beneath the Cross on Golgotha, Magdalene also stood and bitterly grieved together with the Most Holy Theotokos. After the death of the Lord, she visited His tomb three times. And when the Lord rose from the dead, she saw Him twice: once alone, and a second time with the other Myrrh-Bearing Women. She traveled to Rome, appeared before Caesar Tiberius, and presenting him with a red-dyed egg, greeted him with the words: "Christ is Risen!" At the same time she accused Pilate before the Caesar for his unjust condemnation of the Lord Jesus. The Caesar received her complaint and transferred Pilate from Jerusalem to Gaul, where that unjust judge ended his life in the Emperor's disfavor and in grievous illness. After this she returned from Rome to Ephesus to the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, whom she assisted in the work of preaching the Gospel. With great love for the risen Lord and with great zeal she proclaimed the Gospel to the world as a true apostle of Christ. She reposed peacefully in Ephesus, and was buried, according to Tradition, in that same cave in which the Seven Youths, miraculously put to sleep for hundreds of years, afterward came to life and then died (see August 4). The relics of Saint Magdalene were later transferred to Constantinople. Near the Garden of Gethsemane there stands a beautiful Russian church dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene.
2. THE HIEROMARTYR PHOCAS
Translation of his relics from Pontus to Constantinople around the year 404. The principal celebration of this saint is on September 22, where the account of his life and suffering is also found. Furthermore, on this day one miracle of this saint is also commemorated. A certain man named Pontinus was captured by the Arabs. The Arabs shackled him, bound his hands behind his back, and left him thus to die. Lying face down on the ground and unable to move, Pontinus cried out: "Holy Martyr Phocas, have mercy on me and save me!" Having said this he fell asleep, and in his sleep he saw the holy Martyr Phocas approach him, take hold of him by the hand and say: "The Lord Jesus Christ forgives thee!" When the man awoke, he found himself free and released from all his bonds. He rose, therefore, and went to his home and took Saint Phocas as his household patron saint.
3. THE VENERABLE CORNELIUS OF PEREYASLAVL
At the age of fifteen he was tonsured a monk by the Elder Paul. Later he withdrew into the wilderness to practice silence. For thirty years he lived in silence, not speaking a word to anyone, so that many considered him mute. Through fasting he so dried out his body that he resembled a skeleton. Before his death he received the Great Schema and reposed on July 22, 1693.
4. THE HOLY MARTYR MARCELLA
On the island of Chios this holy woman enjoys enormous veneration. In her church miracles occur every year. Yet her life is not well known. According to Tradition, Marcella was an extraordinarily pious maiden who was orphaned of her mother at a young age. Her pagan and beastly father desired to live with his daughter as with a wife. Marcella fled from her father. But he, enraged like a very beast, overtook her and cut her to pieces. Near her church there are certain stones that from time to time become as if saturated with blood. The people take these stones, bring them into the church, pray to Saint Marcella, and place them upon the sick, who are thereby healed.
“For thirty years he lived in silence, not speaking a word to anyone, so that many considered him mute.”
Hymn of Praise
In black sorrow Mary Magdalene was veiled,
Because of the bloody death of the Son of God.
The sorrow of love is the bitterest sorrow of all,
It has no comfort in the world, nor any companion,
Tears are its comfort, and pain its only friend,
The world was wrapped in darkness for holy Magdalene.
A weak human creature, she sought the light,
Through the darkness Mary groped without hope.
His tomb was her light — but, lo, the tomb was empty!
"Stolen," she thought, "naked and unannointed!"
She wept bitterly, with no end to her weeping,
When the voice of a man beside her she heard:
"Woman, why weepest thou? Tell me: whom seekest thou?"
"Whom do I seek, thou askest? Dost thou wish to console me!
If thou hast taken Him, tell me where thou hast laid Him!" —
Jesus looked upon her, weeping and sorrowful,
And called her in a voice most sweet: "Mary!"
In Mary's heart the light began to shine.
O familiar voice, in sweetness unsurpassed,
With life and power, O voice, most lavishly endowed!
With that voice the Lord had healed the sick,
With that same voice He had raised the dead.
O life-giving voice, O wondrous voice!
Mary started and looked about her.
"Rabboni!" she cried ... And then the sun arose
For Mary — and for the world a New Day dawned.
“"Rabboni!" she cried ... And then the sun arose for Mary — and for the world a New Day dawned.”
Reflection
Blessed are they that mourn, the Lord said. Blessed are those who weep seeking the Kingdom of God. Blessed are those who weep suffering for the faith of Christ. Blessed are those who weep repenting of their sins. True repentance cannot exist without tears. With what shall we wash away our sins if not with tears — or with blood? To the great Macarius the monks of Nitria sent a petition, that he alone should come to them, so that they would not all have to go to him. Macarius obeyed and came. All the monks gathered around him and begged him for a word of instruction. Macarius wept and through his weeping said: "Brethren, let your eyes shed tears before you go there where your tears will scorch your bodies." Then all the brethren also broke into tears.
“True repentance cannot exist without tears. With what shall we wash away our sins if not with tears — or with blood?”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous appearance of the Archangel to Joshua the son of Nun when he set out to conquer Jericho (Joshua 5), namely:
1. How the Commander of the army of heaven appeared to Joshua with a drawn sword in his hand;
2. How he told him to take off his shoes;
3. How we too in the battle of life must not rely on our own feet and our own equipment, but on Him who fights for us.
Homily
On the Inexorable Justice of God
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down into chains of darkness (II Peter 2:4)
How then will He spare sinful man? He did not spare the first world either, but preserved Noah alone, the eighth preacher of righteousness, and brought the flood upon the ungodly world; and He burned and overthrew and condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah — how, then, should He spare thee, O sinful man? Art thou dearer and more precious to Him than millions of angels, and than so many nations drowned by the flood, and than those populous cities? If He cast angels down into the darkness of hell, and drowned nations by the flood, and burned cities with fire — what dost thou hope for, sinning, ceaselessly sinning, and not turning away from sin? In the mercy of God, thou sayest? But is God more merciful now than He was then? Does God change as a man does? Hope not beyond measure, but let thy hope be in proportion to thy labor in amending thy life. Truly great is the mercy of God, long is the patience of God, boundless is the love of God. Behold, God loves thee more than thou lovest thyself; and He desires thy salvation more than thou dost thyself — but he who to the end mocks the mercy of God; he who to the end scorns the patience of God; and he who to the end opposes the love of God — will God bring him by force into His Kingdom and make him a fellow citizen of the angels and the saints?
O how terrible is the darkness of hell, and the clanking of chains, and the gnashing of teeth! There dwell those who mocked the mercy of God and opposed the love of God. Wilt thou go there too, O stray soul? God does not desire that thou shouldst go there; the angels grieve that thou hast set out in that direction; the saints pray that thou wouldst turn back; the Church offers sacrifices for thee, that thou mightest come to thy senses. If thou dost despise all of this — O wilt thou truly despise it all! — what mercy dost thou then expect from God?
O righteous Lord, help us to awaken in time from the path toward the darkness of hell; bring us to our senses and strengthen us in goodness before Thou dost send the angel to take our souls. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“If He cast angels down into the darkness of hell — what dost thou hope for, sinning ceaselessly and not turning away from sin?”