Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYR SOZON
By origin from Lycaonia, Saint Sozon was a shepherd of sheep and kept the Law of God in all things, and taught his peers and companions the pious faith. Through a certain vision he learned that he would have to suffer martyrdom for Christ. At that time there was a great persecution of Christians in the nearby city of Pompeiopolis by a certain Maximian, the governor of Cilicia. And in that city there was a certain golden idol to which the pagans bowed down. Sozon left his sheep, went into the city, entered the pagan temple, and broke off the hand of the golden idol, crushed it, and distributed it to the poor. A great tumult arose in the city because of this, and the pagans began to seek the culprit. In order that no one else should suffer because of his deed, Sozon went to the governor and declared himself a Christian and the perpetrator of that deed. The torturers first beat him, then hung him on a tree and scraped him with iron combs, and when he was already at his last breath they placed him on the fire, where the holy Sozon gave up his holy soul to God. He suffered around the year 304. His relics were wonder-working, and a church was built over them in the name of Saint Sozon.
2. HOLY APOSTLES EVODIUS AND ONESIPHORUS
These apostles were of the Seventy. Evodius is mentioned by Saint Ignatius the God-bearer in his epistle to the Antiochians with great praise. Evodius was a disciple of the Apostle Peter and his successor in the office of Bishop of Antioch. The Apostle Peter, his instructor, appointed him Bishop of Antioch. Evodius wrote a work about the Holy Theotokos, in which he set forth how the Holy Virgin Mary was brought to the Temple at the age of three; how she remained in the Temple for eleven years; how, upon entering her fifteenth year, she was entrusted to Saint Joseph for safekeeping; and how she gave birth to the Lord in her fifteenth year. He also wrote another work entitled "The Luminary." But both of these works were destroyed during the persecutions of Christians. He was killed for Christ during the time of Emperor Vespasian's stay in Antioch. Saint Onesiphorus is mentioned by the Apostle Paul (II Timothy 1:16-18) as his sincere friend and helper. He suffered for Christ in Colophon, where he was also bishop. It is said that he was tied to wild horses and torn apart. And thus these faithful soldiers of Christ honorably served on earth and departed into the joy of their Lord.
3. HOLY MARTYR EUPSYCHIUS
The son of the senator Dionysius. He was fiercely tortured for Christ, beaten and scraped, then thrown half-dead into prison. An angel of God appeared to him and healed him. Released from prison, he distributed all his possessions, giving some to the poor and some to his slanderers. He was seized again and scraped until he gave up his soul to God. From his wounds flowed milk and water instead of blood. He suffered in the time of Emperor Hadrian.
4. SAINT JOHN, ARCHBISHOP OF NOVGOROD
He was first a priest and then, from the year 1163, a bishop in Novgorod. He built seven churches during his lifetime. He had a vision of the Holy Theotokos, and possessed an extraordinary power over demons, whom he even compelled to serve him. He miraculously saved Novgorod from an attack by seventy-two princes. He suffered from demonic temptations, but by the power of the Cross and prayer he overcame them all. In old age he withdrew to a monastery, received the great schema, and peacefully reposed in the Lord on September 7, 1185.
“He suffered from demonic temptations, but by the power of the Cross and prayer he overcame them all.”
Hymn of Praise
Young Sozon, a champion of the true faith,
Stands upright before the face of the faithless,
Stands upright, fearing nothing;
His mind he held deep in God,
With a steadfast mind he stood in heaven,
The torturer put him to torment
For breaking the hand of the golden idol.
"I broke it," Sozon answers,
"To see if it would rebuke me,
But the idol's two hands are dead,
In vain you bring it sacrifices,
The dead idol did not utter a word
Nor by force prevent me from breaking it.
Dead it is silent, for it has no spirit,
Neither reason, nor sight, nor hearing.
I took the hand not to steal it
But to distribute it as bread to the wretched;
O pagans, for your salvation
I distributed that dead stone,
That your souls might find relief
And acknowledge the living Christ as God."
Sozon knelt and prayed to God,
For the truth he shed his blood,
Sozon the wondrous, the unsurpassed champion.
Of God's power, the most abundant source.
“Of God's power, the most abundant source.”
Reflection
Victory over anger is one of the greatest victories of a soldier of Christ. We usually become angry either at those whom we wish to turn from sin, or at our slanderers. But we forget in so doing that anger is a mortal sin, and that in wishing to save others we destroy ourselves, according to the words of Saint Macarius. Anger against enemies is usually connected with another wicked feeling, namely vengefulness. Saint Eupsychius had so conquered the passion of anger in himself that before his death he gave one part of his great estate to the poor and another part to his slanderers, on whose account he had been tortured and killed. He considered his slanderers to be his benefactors. Saint John Chrysostom writes: "Let us clip the wings of anger, and evil will not rise high. Anger," he says, "is an evil disease that can destroy our souls. Anger is a terrible fire that devours everything. If an angry man could see himself at the moment of his anger, he would not need any other counsel [not to be angry] — for there is nothing more unpleasant than the face of one who is enraged." Abba Ammon confessed of himself: "I spent fourteen years in Scetis praying to God day and night, that He would grant me victory over anger."
“Let us clip the wings of anger, and evil will not rise high. Anger is a terrible fire that devours everything.”
Contemplation
Contemplate Solomon's honor for his mother (I Kings 2), namely:
1. How the king's mother came to her son to ask him something;
2. How the king rose, met his mother and bowed before her;
3. When the king sat on his throne, he placed his mother at his right hand.
“How Solomon rose, met his mother and bowed before her; and when the king sat on his throne, he placed his mother at his right hand.”
Homily
on spiritual food
Behold love! Behold instruction! Behold humility! Behold an example! Just as in good bread there is found everything our body needs, so in every word of the Lord Christ there is found everything our soul needs. The divine unity of nature of the Father and the Son is expressed in the love of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father. He who loves also obeys. If you wish to know how great your love for God is, measure your obedience to the will of God, and you will know immediately. Lack of obedience is a sure sign of lack of love. He who loves performs the will of the beloved with sweetness. The Son of God so loves His Father that He considers the sweetest food to be the fulfillment of the Father's will. What is the Father's will? The salvation of mankind. The Lord, the Son of God, felt an unquenchable hunger for the fulfillment of this will of the Father. And when He saved someone, He felt nourished by the sweetest food. See how exalted is the spirituality of Christ! His disciples had brought Him food from the town and offered it to Him to eat: "Rabbi, eat!" At that moment He was occupied with His chief work — the saving of human souls. There was the Samaritan woman, ready to accept the teaching of salvation; there on the horizon the entire city of Sychar, already drawn near to the Kingdom of God; there was a great field and a harvest of salvation ready. That is for Christ food sweeter than all the bodily foods and delicacies of this world. The body is a carriage in which the king, man, rides. When the king performs his kingly work, when he ransoms princes from slavery, the carriage must stand aside and not hinder the king's work. The king is wholly intent on saving his beloved princes; and that is his food, his drink, his reward, his sole satisfaction and dignity. O my brethren, if you only knew how Christ the Lord even today hungers for our salvation! Shall we not give Him the food He most loves to eat? Who is a greater guest, a closer kinsman, a more sincere friend to us than He? And when we feast far lesser guests, and more distant relatives, and less sincere friends with the food that we know they love, how shall we not feast our Lord with the only food pleasing to Him? Let us embrace our own salvation, which He offers us. That is to Him the dearest food. From every other food He turns His head away.
O Lord Jesus, insatiable Lover of mankind, have mercy on us and save us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me.”