Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN
The son of the fisherman Zebedee and of Salome, the daughter of Joseph the Betrothed of the Most Holy Theotokos. Called by the Lord Jesus, John immediately left his father and his fishing nets and followed Christ with his brother James. And from then on he never parted from his Lord until the very end. With Peter and James he was present at the raising of the daughter of Jairus and the Transfiguration of the Lord. At the Mystical Supper he laid his head upon the breast of Jesus. When all the others had forsaken the crucified Lord, John with the Most Holy Theotokos remained at the foot of the Cross. By the Lord's command he was thereafter as a son to the Holy Virgin Mary, and faithfully served and watched over her until her Dormition. After the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, John went with his disciple Prochorus to preach the Gospel in Asia Minor. He labored and worked chiefly in Ephesus. By his inspired preaching and his wonderworking he converted many to Christianity and shook paganism to its foundations. The embittered pagans bound him and sent him to Rome, to the Emperor Domitian. Before the emperor he was tortured and beaten; but when neither the deadliest poison that they gave him to drink nor the boiling oil into which they cast him did him any harm, the emperor took fright, and considering him immortal, sent him into exile on the island of Patmos. On this island Saint John converted many to Christianity by his words and miracles, and firmly established the Church of God. There he wrote his Gospel and the Apocalypse. In the time of Emperor Nerva, who granted freedom to all prisoners, John set out once more for Ephesus, where he lived for some time, strengthening the work he had begun earlier. He was over one hundred years old when he reposed in the Lord. When his disciples later opened his grave, they did not find his body, but every year on May 8 a fine, fragrant, and healing dust came forth from his tomb. After a long life of many labors and many fruits upon the earth, this beloved disciple of Christ and pillar of the Church departed to the joy of his Lord, to a peaceful and immortal joy.
2. VENERABLE NILUS OF CALABRIA
A great ascetic among the Greeks in Calabria, founder of several monasteries, a wonderworker and defender of the purity of the Orthodox faith. He undertook long journeys solely to save some person from severe punishment. He therefore had a burning love for his neighbors. He reposed in 1005. He left behind many disciples worthy of himself, among whom Saint Bartholomew (died 1044), the author of several canons, especially distinguished himself.
“When all the others had forsaken the crucified Lord, John with the Most Holy Theotokos remained at the foot of the Cross.”
Hymn of Praise
Holy John the Evangelist,
Son of the fisherman Zebedee,
Young he was when the love
Of Jesus mightily warmed him.
The most faithful friend of the Lord,
With the pure soul of a youth,
A soul both pure and loving,
Clairvoyant and heroic.
He proclaimed the wondrous mysteries,
From eternity he lifted the seal,
The fate of the world from beginning
To the very end he foresaw.
He preached love,
And in love he walked,
To the throne of the Most High God
By love he rose.
By love he grew
Like a snow-white mountain —
Son of thunder, fearsome prophet,
Though of a gentle, tender heart.
O John the wonder-seer,
O thunderous saint:
Bring our small prayers
To your Friend, the Savior!
Lead us closer to Him,
To the mighty God, the sweet God;
We are unworthy of His breast —
But at least near, near — His feet!
“O John the wonder-seer, O thunderous saint: bring our small prayers to your Friend, the Savior!”
Reflection
He who converts a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins; so writes the Apostle James (5:20). The Apostles of Christ not only spoke thus but confirmed it by their deeds. Of Saint John the Apostle, Saint Clement of Alexandria recounts how in a certain place in Asia Minor he baptized a pagan youth and entrusted him to the care of the local bishop, and then went on further to preach the Gospel. In the absence of Saint John, that youth was corrupted and began to drink and steal, and finally joined a band of robbers who attacked people from the forest and plundered. After a certain time Saint John returned to that place and heard from the bishop what had happened to the youth. Then Saint John, without a moment's delay, found a horse and a guide and rode off to the forest where the band of robbers was to be found. Searching through the forest, the saint found the bandits and came before their leader. And the young man, the moment he saw and recognized him, took to flight. The aged John raced after him, and despite his old age overtook him. Seeing that he was overtaken, the young man fell at the feet of the Apostle, and from shame dared not look him in the eye. John embraced him and began to kiss him, as a shepherd who finds a lost sheep. And John brought him back to the city and strengthened him once more in the faith and in a virtuous life. And having pleased God, that young man reposed in due time.
“He who converts a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the divided heart of King Amaziah toward God, and the punishment of God (II Chronicles 25), namely:
1. How Amaziah at first did what was right before the Lord, and God granted him victory over the Edomites;
2. How he brought the Edomite idols to Jerusalem (which had not even helped the Edomites) and bowed down to them;
3. How God allowed the Israelites to defeat him, and a revolt arose against him, and they slew him.
“How Amaziah at first did what was right before the Lord, and God granted him victory over the Edomites.”
Homily
on the prayer inspired by Love
When a mother is led to her death, she cares more about the children she is leaving behind than about herself. Such is the bond of great love. Even greater love did the Lord Christ have for His disciples than a mother for her children. Going to His death, the Lord prays to His heavenly Father for His disciples. He does not pray because He Himself could not do all things for them, but to show the unity of His essence and love with His Father. But why does He now ascribe truth to the Father, when earlier He called the Spirit the Spirit of truth, saying to the disciples: The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth? To show the equality of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Did not the Lord first say of Himself: I am the truth (John 14:6)? Did He not then call the Holy Spirit the Comforter the Spirit of truth? And behold, now He ascribes truth to the Father: Sanctify them through Thy truth! Let no one see any contradiction in this, for he who would do so would not have grasped God as unity and trinity — unity in essence and trinity in hypostasis. Precisely by ascribing truth to each Person of the divine Trinity as something essential and inseparable, the Lord proclaims the equality of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. For if one Person of the divine Trinity had less truth, that Person would be lesser in essence than the other two Persons. And with a lack of truth is linked a lack of power and love and wisdom as well. Therefore the Lord calls both Himself, and the Father, and the Holy Spirit truth, so that men may know and believe in Their perfect essential equality. Let none of the faithful, therefore, be scandalized by the heretical teaching of the essential inequality of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. But let everyone strive to cleanse his heart from sin as a mirror is wiped of dust, and he will then see the truth of the great dogma of the equality of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. O Tri-une divine Truth, enlighten us with Thyself and save us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“For if one Person of the divine Trinity had less truth, that Person would be lesser in essence than the other two Persons.”