Lives of the Saints
1. HIEROMARTYR ANTHIMUS
Born in Nicomedia and from childhood raised as a true Christian. "His body was mortified, his spirit humble, envy rooted out, anger tamed, laziness banished; ... he had love for all, peace with all; prudence in the midst of all, zeal for the glory of God, manifest to all." It is no wonder that a man of such virtues was appointed bishop. Holy Anthimus served as bishop in Nicomedia in the time of the fierce persecution of Christians under the wicked emperors Diocletian and Maximian. In Nicomedia especially, Christian blood was poured out in streams. One year at the Nativity of Christ, twenty thousand martyrs were burned in a single church (see December 28). This happened during the episcopate of Anthimus. But the persecution did not end there, but continued, and many Christians were cast into prison and kept there for torture and death. Saint Anthimus withdrew to a village called Omana, not to escape death but so that from there he might encourage his flock in the feat of martyrdom, lest anyone fall away from fear. One of his letters to the Christians in prison was intercepted and delivered to Emperor Maximian. The emperor sent twenty soldiers to find and bring Anthimus. The wise and clairvoyant elder went out to meet the soldiers, led them into his house and served them as guests, and only then told them that he was Anthimus, whom they sought. The soldiers, amazed by Anthimus's goodness, proposed that he hide himself, and they would tell the emperor that they had not been able to find him. But Anthimus replied that he could not permit a commandment of God to be transgressed by a lie and his life to be saved thereby, and he set off with the soldiers. Along the way all the soldiers came to believe in Christ and were baptized by Anthimus. Brought before the emperor, Anthimus was tortured long and cruelly, and finally beheaded with an axe. He glorified the Lord and reposed in the Lord at the beginning of the fourth century.
2. HOLY MARTYR BASILISSA
A nine-year-old girl. She suffered in Nicomedia not long after the death of Saint Anthimus. The tormentors covered her entire body with wounds, but she remained faithful to Christ. God preserved her unharmed in fire and before wild beasts; seeing this, her torturer Alexander repented and received the faith of Christ. Basilissa went out into the field, fell to her knees to pray to God and give thanks for the torments she had endured, and in that act surrendered her spirit to God, around the year 309.
3. SAINT JOANNICIUS, ARCHBISHOP AND FIRST PATRIARCH OF SERBIA
By birth from Prizren, he first served as secretary to King Dushan. He became Archbishop in 1339, and in 1346 was elevated to the rank of Patriarch. A zealous chief shepherd and organizer of the Serbian Church, "a great confirmation of church laws." He reposed in the Lord on September 3, 1349. His relics are in Pec.
4. VENERABLE THEOCTISTUS
A co-faster and co-ascetic of Saint Euthymius the Great. Theoctistus was the abbot of the Lavra of Euthymius, situated six miles from Jerusalem on the road to Jericho. In everything he was a disciple of Saint Euthymius, and under his spiritual guidance he directed the monastery until his ninetieth year. He pleased God by his life and reposed in the Lord in the middle of the fifth century, in the time of Patriarch Anastasius of Jerusalem.
“He who as an idolater cannot enter the holy temple where the one true God is glorified.”
Hymn of Praise
Holy Anthimus encourages his flock:
"My children, my beloved children,
Bearers of the yoke of Christ,
Now is the time of the great feat;
O soldiers of Christ the Crucified
And gloriously Risen from the dead,
Now is the time of fierce persecution,
Now is the time of struggle and endurance.
For the valiant a chariot is prepared,
The radiance of crowns shines above you,
Fear not the grim executioners,
The power of men does not endure forever,
The power of God stands unto ages of ages,
Your tears shall be wiped away
Blessed is he who fears God!
In the heavens, by angelic hands;
Your wounds shall be healed
In the heavens, with the balm of Paradise;
Death shall be transformed into life,
The humbled shall be crowned with crowns,
Short are the torments but eternal are the blessings --
Fear not, my dear children!"
“Short are the torments but eternal are the blessings -- fear not, my dear children!”
Reflection
He who wishes to be saved must inevitably be obedient to the spiritual authority. Without that obedience, a man may, despite the best desire for salvation, go to perdition. The great saints, who prescribed obedience as a condition of salvation, themselves fulfilled obedience to perfection. When Saint Simeon chose his ascetic feat upon the pillar, this novelty surprised all the ascetics. Not knowing whether this manner of asceticism was from the Spirit of God or from the spirit of pride, the desert fathers and spiritual directors sent men to ascertain the matter; and in sending them, they told them to command Simeon in their name to come down from the pillar. If he refused to come down, it would mean that his elevation upon the pillar was from the spirit of pride; but if he obeyed the command and was willing to come down, they should leave him where he was, for by his readiness to obey he would show that his feat was from the Holy Spirit. When the emissaries came and told Saint Simeon that the council of the holy desert fathers commanded him to come down from the pillar, Simeon immediately began to descend the ladder. Seeing this, the joyful emissaries cried out to him: "Do not descend, holy father, but remain where you are; now we see that your feat is from God."
“Without that obedience, a man may, despite the best desire for salvation, go to perdition.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the punishment of God upon David for his sins (II Samuel 13), namely:
1. How Amnon, the son of David, dishonored David's daughter Tamar;
2. How Absalom, the son of David, on that account slew his brother Amnon;
3. How David wept bitterly.
Homily
on the Word of God manifested in the body
Here is a new beginning, brethren, blessed and salvific for us. It is the beginning of our salvation. Adam was in the body when he fell under the power of sin and death. Now the Creator of Adam appears in the body, to deliver both Adam and the posterity of Adam from the power of sin and death. The Son of God, the Word, the Wisdom, the Light and the Life -- descended among men, in a human body and with a human soul; He became incarnate without being divided from His Divinity; He descended without being separated from His Father. Retaining everything that He had and was from eternity and in eternity, He only received something new, namely human nature. His eternal attributes were not diminished by the Incarnation, nor was His relationship to the Father and the Spirit changed. Behold, the Father both at the Jordan and on Tabor testifies: This is My beloved Son! He does not say: This was My Son, but: This is My Son. And the Holy Spirit was with Him at His bodily conception, and through all His days until the end of His service on earth. The divine and human natures in Him were united, but not mingled. How? Do not ask about this, you who cannot even explain yourself to yourself, and do not know how to say how soul and body are united in you. Know only that God has come to visit the earth, and has brought to mankind inexpressibly rich gifts, royal gifts, incorruptible, unfading, priceless, irreplaceable. Know this and let your heart dance with joy. And strive to wash your hands, to cleanse all your senses, to wash your soul, to whiten your heart, to direct your mind, so as to receive the royal gifts. For to the impure they are not given.
O Lord Jesus Christ, help us to cleanse and wash ourselves with Thy blood and Thy Spirit, that we may be made worthy of Thy royal gifts. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Know only that God has come to visit the earth, and has brought to mankind inexpressibly rich gifts, royal gifts, incorruptible, unfading, priceless, irreplaceable.”