Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY PROPHET ZACHARIAH
The father of Saint John the Forerunner. The son of Barachias, of the line of Abijah, of the tribe of Aaron. He was the chief of the priests of the line of Abijah, who held the eighth course of service in the Temple of Jerusalem. His wife was Elizabeth, the daughter of Sophia, the sister of Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos. In the time of King Herod the child-slayer, Zachariah was serving one day according to his course in the Temple of Jerusalem. And there appeared to him in the sanctuary an angel of God, of whom Zachariah was afraid. But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachariah (Luke 1). And the angel announced to Zachariah that his wife Elizabeth would bear him a son, in answer to their prayers. But both were old, both Zachariah and Elizabeth. When Zachariah doubted the words of the heavenly messenger, the angel said to him: I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God. And Zachariah was struck dumb from that hour, and did not speak until his son was born and he wrote on a tablet: His name is John. Then his mouth was opened and he magnified God. Later, when the Lord Jesus was born and when Herod began to slay the children of Bethlehem, Herod sent men to find the son of Zachariah as well and to slay him. For Herod had heard of all that had happened with Zachariah and how John was born. Seeing the soldiers, Elizabeth took John in her arms -- he was then a year and a half old -- and fled with him from the house, through rocky and desolate places. And when she saw the soldiers pursuing her, she cried out to the mountain: "Mountain of God, receive a mother and her child!" And the rock opened and hid within itself the mother and the child. Enraged that John had not been slain, Herod ordered that Zachariah be killed before the altar. The blood of Zachariah poured out upon the marble and hardened like stone, and so remained as testimony to the crime of Herod. And there where Elizabeth hid with John, a cave opened, and water flowed forth, and a fruit-bearing palm tree grew up by the power of God. Forty days after the death of Zachariah, blessed Elizabeth also reposed in the Lord. And the infant John remained in the wilderness, fed by an angel and guarded by God's Providence until that day when he was to appear at the Jordan.
2. HOLY MARTYRS JUVENTINUS AND MAXIMINUS
Little is known of the lives of these two holy men, but their suffering for Christ is known from a homily of Chrysostom in their praise. They were soldiers in the time of Emperor Julian the Apostate. At a military banquet, in conversation with others, they condemned the emperor for persecuting Christians. Someone reported this to the emperor, and the emperor cast them into prison. Certain men of the emperor visited them with the intention of turning them from the true faith, telling them that many of their comrades had already renounced Christ. To this they valiantly replied: "For that very reason we must stand courageously and offer ourselves as a sacrifice on account of their apostasy." They were beheaded by the sword in the darkness of night. But their relics were found and proved to be wonderworking.
3. HOLY SEVENTY MARTYRS
Led by Urban, Theodore, and Medimnus, these were chosen by the Christians of Constantinople in the time of Valens's persecution of Orthodoxy, as the most honorable and most distinguished citizens of the capital, to go to Nicomedia and beseech the heretical emperor (an Arian) to at least spare the lives of the Orthodox Christians. The emperor became enraged, and told them to return, while secretly ordering the sailors that when they were at sea they should set fire to the ship, and then save themselves in a boat and return. Thus the wicked servants of a more wicked master did. The bodies of these illustrious Seventy were burned and drowned in the sea, but their souls swam to the haven of eternal blessedness.
4. VENERABLE ATHANASIUS
He practiced asceticism in Vilna, and later became abbot of a monastery in Brest. Because of his steadfastness in Orthodoxy he was beheaded by the Catholics on September 5, 1648. His relics work wonders in Brest.
“For that reason we must stand courageously and offer ourselves as a sacrifice on account of their apostasy.”
Hymn of Praise
What is that which shines so at midnight on the sea?
What fearful flame shoots up from the water?
It is the tongue of malice speaking with fire.
It is a great ship burning on the water.
The heretic emperor mocks Orthodoxy,
And burns the seventy friends with fire.
This is the feast of Valens, the beast-faced emperor --
A heretic is often more cruel than an unbeliever.
Seventy deaths! For what crime?
Because they appeared with a plea before the emperor's face
And besought the emperor to spare the faithful --
For this their heads were consumed in the flames!
The dry ship burns like straw in a stack,
The flame rises to heaven like a complaint to God:
In the flames all the men are on their knees,
And lift up their prayers to God and to the saints.
"Receive our sacrifice, O God All-Seeing,
Help us to pass over to the heavenly kingdom!"
Their bodies in the fierce flame gave forth fragrance
Like pure incense before the holy altar.
These are the pure sacrifices of holy Orthodoxy,
Strengthened by suffering and glorifying God.
Seventy bodies the sea cools with its cold,
Seventy souls in Paradise delight,
And their glory rises up in the Church,
While God's punishment reaches the shameful Valens.
“These are the pure sacrifices of holy Orthodoxy, Strengthened by suffering and glorifying God.”
Reflection
In vain do men strive to find that which God purposely hides from men. If God had not permitted, men would never have discovered gold and silver beneath the earth, nor the power of water vapor, nor the brightness of electric light. In vain did Herod slaughter the countless children of Bethlehem, merely to slay One. That One had hidden Himself from the gaze and the sword of Herod. In vain did Herod also seek John. Behold the wonder: soldiers pursue the aged Elizabeth, who flees with John in her arms, and they cannot overtake her! Enraged, Herod summoned Zachariah and cried out to him: "Give me your son John!" And the elderly priest gently answered the king: "I am now serving the Lord God of Israel, and I do not know where my son is." Beside himself with fury, Herod ordered that Zachariah be killed in place of John. The servants of the king came to the temple and said to Zachariah: "Where have you hidden your son? Give him to us, for the king commands it. If you do not give him up, you yourself shall die." Zachariah answered: "You shall slay my body, but the Lord shall receive my soul." And Zachariah was slain, but Herod was not satisfied with this. The wicked king had rest neither day nor night, for he was tormented by the suspicion that none other than John could be that newborn king whom the wise men of the East had announced to him. But in vain did Herod strive to find the one whom God purposely hid from him.
“In vain do men strive to find that which God purposely hides from men.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the punishment of God upon David for his sins (II Samuel 17), namely:
1. How Absalom waged war against his father, and how a multitude of people perished in the war;
2. How Absalom perished;
3. How David wept bitterly.
Homily
on the necessity of a second, or spiritual, birth
So the Lord Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, and Nicodemus asked with wonder: How can this be? That is to say: How can a man be born again? So also today many ask: How can a carnal man become spiritual? How can a sinner become righteous? How can the grace of God enter into a man and replace carnal thinking and carnal will? How can the Holy Spirit illumine the heart of man? How can water be changed into wine? We know that when the Spirit of God descended upon the Apostles, the Apostles became other men, new, reborn. And we know from a thousand examples how men of carnal thoughts and carnal life have become spiritual men, reborn. We know, therefore, that this has happened and that it happens even today through the action of the grace of God the Holy Spirit. It is by no means necessary for us to ask: How does this happen? It is enough that we know it does happen, and that we strive that it should happen with us ourselves as well. For the grace of the Spirit is given to everyone who seeks it and who has prepared himself to receive it. There is no harder task than to explain spiritual things to men who think and judge only in a carnal manner. Saint John Chrysostom says: "A soul given over to passions can attain nothing great and noble, for it suffers from a heavy blindness, like eyes darkened by flowing pus." Usually the most carnal men inquire about the greatest divine mysteries. They do not inquire about these things in order to learn the way of their salvation, but to confuse the faithful, to mock the faith, and to justify their own sinful and passionate life. Incapable of ascending to the first rung of the heavenly ladder, they dream about the last rung. When, brethren, such people question you about the profoundest mysteries of the rebirth of the soul and the heavenly kingdom, direct them first to fulfill the ten basic commandments of God. If they do so, then their soul will be opened to the understanding of divine mysteries, and that to the extent that such understanding is necessary for their cleansing from sin and passion and for their eternal salvation.
O Lord Jesus Christ, most gracious and all-wise Teacher, help us to understand with our minds and embrace with our hearts as much of Thy wisdom as is needful for our salvation. Help us to restrain ourselves from idle curiosity. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“A soul given over to passions can attain nothing great and noble, for it suffers from a heavy blindness, like eyes darkened by flowing pus.”