Lives of the Saints
1. VENERABLE ISAAC, DALMATUS, AND FAUSTUS
Isaac is celebrated once more separately (see May 30). Saint Dalmatus was at first an officer under Emperor Theodosius the Great, and the emperor held him in great honor. But when the spirit was awakened in him, he disdained all worldly things, left his rank, took his only son Faustus, and with him went to a monastery in the outskirts of Constantinople, the monastery of Saint Isaac, where both were tonsured as monks. Dalmatus was wholly devoted to the God-pleasing life, at which the elder Isaac rejoiced. And when Isaac drew near to the hour of death, he appointed Dalmatus as abbot in his place. Later that monastery was called Dalmatian after Dalmatus. Dalmatus devoted himself to fasting, sometimes for up to forty days. And by fasting he conquered the invisible power of the demons. He participated in the Third Ecumenical Council and fought against the heresy of Nestorius. Having been well-pleasing to God, he reposed peacefully in the fifth century. His son Faustus imitated his father in all things, and after a God-pleasing life ended his days peacefully in that same Dalmatian monastery.
2. VENERABLE COSMAS THE EUNUCH
A monk from the Lavra of Pharan. Very learned in Holy Scripture. He so valued the works of Saint Athanasius the Great that he would say to his disciple: "When you hear any word from the books of Saint Athanasius, if you have no paper, write it on your shirt." In old age he came to Antioch to Patriarch Gregory (reposed 584) and there ended his life. The patriarch ordered that the body of Cosmas be buried in the monastery of the Patriarchate. A certain man often came to the grave of Cosmas, and honoring the saint, would pray to God there. When asked why he did this, he related that he had lain paralyzed for twelve years, and that Saint Cosmas had healed him.
3. VENERABLE ANTHONY OF ROME
Born in Rome in 1086, of pious and wealthy parents. At that time the Roman Church had separated from the Eastern Church, and all who remained faithful to the Eastern Church were persecuted by the Roman clergy. Among those persecuted was Anthony. He distributed all his inherited wealth and became a monk. Standing upon a rock in the sea, he practiced asceticism for fourteen months. The rock meanwhile broke off from its base and by some wondrous providence floated upon the water all the way to Novgorod. In Novgorod the bishop Nicetas received him warmly and helped him build a church dedicated to the Holy Theotokos, where a monastery was later established. Anthony lived a long time as abbot of that monastery, and having manifested great grace-filled power through many miracles, reposed peacefully in the year 1146 and moved to the mansions of the Lord.
4. SAINT SALOME THE MYRRH-BEARER
Mother of the holy Apostles James and John, wife of Zebedee, and daughter of Joseph, the betrothed of the Most Holy Theotokos. She served the Lord during His earthly life and was deemed worthy to be among the first heralds of His Resurrection.
“When asked why he did this, he related that he had lain paralyzed for twelve years, and that Saint Cosmas had healed him.”
Hymn of Praise
A dead rock and a man upon the rock,
The stormy sea foaming all around —
Anthony, absorbed in God,
Constantly raised his mind to God
And offered up prayers from his heart.
The rock moved, but Anthony was silent,
All in God, he suspected no evil;
All evils are timid before a hero,
And most of all before a true monk.
Providence directs man,
And through the saints God glorifies Himself.
God was glorified through Anthony,
Anthony shone like a star
In the great city of Novgorod,
Where the miracle was made known to the people.
Anthony cultivated humility,
Constantly raised his mind to God;
A humble soul is a sweet offering to God,
And prayer — the incense of true sacrifice.
Anthony was both incense and sacrifice.
God never sees a saint as dead,
Nor does a visionary saint ever see God so.
“Providence directs man, and through the saints God glorifies Himself.”
Reflection
Holy souls read the Holy Scriptures with great diligence, meditating upon every word, and placing themselves before the mirror of the Word of God as before the Dread Judgment. So great was their diligence in this that some ascetics undertook distant journeys in order to reach some spiritual sage who might explain to them a single word or a single saying from Holy Scripture. Where this was possible, it was accomplished by means of letters. Hence there have remained entire collections of letters from saints such as Basil, Gregory, Chrysostom, Isidore of Pelusium, Nilus of Sinai, and many others. Saint Cosmas one day pondered the words of the Lord Jesus, when in Gethsemane He asked the disciples whether they had a sword. And when the disciples said to Him: "Lord, behold, here are two swords," He said to them: "It is enough" (Luke 22:38). Unable to explain these words to himself, Cosmas resolved to cross the wilderness to a distant lavra called Pirga, to the renowned Abba Theophilus, to ask him. With great difficulty he reached his destination. And Theophilus explained to him: "The two swords signify the twofold manner of the God-pleasing life: action and contemplation, that is, labor and the immersion of the mind in meditation on God and prayer. Whoever has both of these is perfect."
“The two swords signify the twofold manner of the God-pleasing life: action and contemplation, that is, labor and the immersion of the mind in meditation on God and prayer.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the ingratitude of the Jews toward God their Deliverer and God's punishment (Judges 13), namely:
1. How the children of Israel again did what was evil before the Lord;
2. How the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years;
3. How the ingratitude of a liberated people toward God their Liberator is punished even today by bondage under foreigners.
Homily
on the ingratitude of men unseen even among beasts
By the gratitude of animals, the ingratitude of men is most terribly exposed. When an irrational ox knows who his master is, and when a donkey knows whose crib it eats from, how can a rational man not know God, his Creator and Sustainer? Israel means Seer-of-God. And every rational man ought, by his rationality, to be a seer-of-God — to know God, to sense the presence of God, to serve God, as the meek and wondrous Jacob once did. But when a rational man, whose entire dignity lies in the knowledge of God, does not know God — that is, when the seer-of-God becomes blind to God — then the ox and the donkey rise in dignity above such a man. For the ox without exception knows its master, and the donkey without exception knows its feeder, while among men there are exceptions — that is, there are men, and indeed often leaders of men, who do not know their Master or their Sustainer. Godlessness is a disease solely of men in all of created existence. For piety is a condition of normality and health only for man and not for animals. Hence godlessness is not a disease of animals but of men — alas, only of men, only of those who are destined to be seers-of-God, and who, when they lose their piety, become poorer than the ox and the donkey! This is the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, the prophet of God. O God of the meek Jacob, of Israel the enlightened Seer-of-God, help us to preserve our human dignity, the dignity of seers-of-God, and in every day and hour to know and acknowledge with gratitude Thee as our Master and our Sustainer. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Godlessness is a disease solely of men in all of created existence.”