The Lives of the Saints
1. THE HOLY MARTYR CHRISTINA
Christina was from the city of Tyre, the daughter of the imperial governor Urban, an idolater. It is not known for what reasons her parents gave her this name, Christina, but it concealed within itself the mystery of her future following of Christ. Until her eleventh year she knew nothing of Christ. And when she turned eleven, her father, wishing to hide her from the world on account of her extraordinary beauty until she was fully grown, assigned her the highest floor of a tall tower, that she might live there. He arranged every comfort for her life, gave her handmaidens to serve her, and placed in her chambers idols of silver and gold, that she might offer sacrifices to them daily. But the soul of the young Christina was distressed in that idolatrous setting. Gazing through the window by day at the sun and all the beauties of the world, and by night at the wondrous host of brilliant stars, she by her natural reason arrived at a firm belief in the one living God. The merciful God, seeing her longing for the truth, sent His angel to her, who sealed her with the sign of the Cross, called her the bride of Christ, and instructed her fully in the knowledge of God. Then Christina smashed all the idols in her chambers, and thereby provoked a savage fury in her father. Her father brought her to trial and delivered her to torments, and then cast her into a dungeon, intending to behead her with a sword the next day. But that night, while still in full health, Urban gave up his soul and went to the grave before his daughter. After that, two governors, Dion and Julian, continued the torturing of this holy virgin. Christina's courage in suffering and the miracles she wrought by the power of God converted many pagans of Tyre to Christianity. During the torturing of Christina, Dion suddenly fell dead in the midst of the people. His successor Julian cut off Christina's breasts and tongue. The martyr took her own tongue in her hand and hurled it into Julian's eyes. And he at once became blind. At last, her sufferings for Christ were ended by death under a sharp sword, and her life continued in the immortal angelic kingdom. The holy Christina suffered honorably in the third century.
2. THE VENERABLE POLYCARP, ABBOT OF THE KIEV CAVES
Polycarp possessed "love toward God and neighbor, joy from an unblemished conscience, peace from the conquest of all passions, patience in temptations and afflictions, kindness in obedience to all, mercy toward the poor, unwavering faith in the fulfillment of the commandments, truth in the keeping of vows, meekness in not knowing anger, temperance, and so forth." So well did he govern the Kiev Caves Lavra that after his death no worthy successor could be found among the monks (for even those who were worthy, out of humility, would not accept the office of abbot), so that the brethren were compelled to take as abbot a secular priest, Basil. The holy Polycarp reposed in the Lord in the year 1182.
Hymn of Praise
The glorious martyr, the virgin Christina,
The chosen bride of the Son of God,
In her father she had the blackest foe,
By him she was torn asunder with iron.
"If thou wilt not, daughter, acknowledge the gods,
I shall no longer call thee my daughter."
Thus spoke the father to his daughter, and she to him:
"Never shall I be angry with thee for that.
I am Christ's handmaiden, thou art Satan's servant.
In thee I see neither father nor friend.
Call me not daughter -- that brings me joy,
My Father is the Lord. He is my delight."
The enraged beast -- her father -- commanded the servants
To scrape off her flesh, to lay bare her bones!
The flesh fell away from her tender body,
All wound upon wound, nowhere a place whole.
The holy martyr seized a handful of flesh
And struck her father full in his loathsome face:
"O hateful Urban, here is my flesh,
Here, devour it, beast, from thine own child!"
That night Urban parted from his body
And in hell joined his soul with the devil.
Christina suffered and shed her blood,
Valiantly withstanding the enemy of the world --
The wondrous martyr, the virgin Christina,
Was glorified with the glory of the Son of God.
“I am Christ's handmaiden, thou art Satan's servant. In thee I see neither father nor friend.”
Reflection
The faith of Christ shines most brightly and illumines the souls of men when the preachers of that faith shine by their own lives. Blessed Polycarp, Abbot of the Kiev Caves, was wholly illumined by the faith of Christ in words and in deeds and in his entire person. By this he exerted an extraordinary influence not only upon the common folk but also upon princes and nobles. Listening to and beholding this man of God, the Prince of Kiev, Rostislav Mstislavich, was so illumined by the faith of Christ and so tamed and ennobled that he became a model both to his immediate circle and to his entire people. During the holy fasts, Prince Rostislav received Communion every week, and on all sides he sought out the wretched and the suffering and helped them. At last he resolved to receive the monastic tonsure, and of this he spoke to St. Polycarp: "Holy Father, the rule of a prince in this world cannot be without sin, and it has already embittered and exhausted me." Polycarp answered him: "If thou desirest this [the monastic tonsure] from the heart, let the will of God be done." But once in Smolensk the prince fell deathly ill, and he commanded that he be quickly carried to Kiev, that he might be tonsured as a monk before death. But he died before his wish could be fulfilled.
“Holy Father, the rule of a prince in this world cannot be without sin, and it has already embittered and exhausted me.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous victory of the Israelites over the men of Ai (Joshua 8), namely:
1. How the men of Ai pursued the Israelites and all but defeated them;
2. How by the command of God, Joshua raised the banner on high and held it raised until the men of Ai were routed;
3. How I too, in danger, must lift up my heart to God as a banner, and with the Cross upon my heart and prayer, march on to victory.
Homily
On the Holy Admonition of the Apostle
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were just barely escaping (II Peter 2:18).
The holy Apostle knows men better than the most learned scholars, for he is a saint and an apostle. And a saint and apostle penetrates deeply into the human heart. Of whom does the holy Apostle speak here? Of the impure, the shameless, and the self-willed, whom he had earlier called waterless springs, and clouds and mists. The impure, shameless, and self-willed are many-worded and high-worded. They speak to men proud and lying words. By these proud and lying words they both conceal and reveal their hearts -- conceal them from the uneducated and the uncomprehending, but reveal them to those established in the faith and illumined by grace. When the impure man speaks of his own purity, thereby he reveals his impurity; when the shameless man defends his honor, thereby he exposes his shamelessness; when the self-willed man interprets the will of God, thereby he betrays his self-will. Whoever closely follows his words can detect the stench of fleshly desires. But the inattentive and the ignorant cannot detect that stench; instead they believe and are seduced. Those who have only recently begun to flee from the deception of the flesh, and the world, and the devil, are caught by proud and lying words as a fish in an invisible net. A fish does not know it is in the net until the net is drawn out upon the hot sand. Then it knows, but then it is too late. O may it not be too late also for those wretched human souls who are caught in the net of proud and lying words! Know, brethren, that every teacher is false who by his teaching approves fleshly desires, and indulges sinners in their fleshly lusts.
O Lord Jesus, holy and most pure, send Thy holy angels to defend all beginners and fledglings in Thy faith from proud and lying mouths. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“When the impure man speaks of his own purity, thereby he reveals his impurity.”