Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYR CALLISTRATUS
A native of Carthage. A Christian from birth, for both his father and grandfather were Christians. One of Callistratus's ancestors, by the name of Neocorus, had served as a soldier in Jerusalem under Pontius Pilate at the time of the Passion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Seeing many miracles at the death of Christ, Neocorus believed in Him and was instructed in the faith and baptized by the Apostles. Returning home, Neocorus brought his family the faith of Christ as a precious pearl. And so in time holy Callistratus was born, baptized, and raised as a Christian. When he was in the army, there was not a single other Christian in his regiment except him. Some of his comrades saw holy Callistratus rising at night and praying to God, and reported him to the commander Persentinus as a Christian. And Persentinus was a fierce persecutor of Christians. To assure himself that Callistratus was indeed a Christian, the commander ordered him to offer sacrifice to the idols, which Callistratus immediately refused. Then Callistratus was severely beaten and then cast into the sea. But the power of God saved him, and he came out of the sea unharmed. Seeing the endurance of Callistratus and his miracles, forty-nine soldiers believed in Christ the Lord. They too were beaten and cast into prison with Callistratus. In prison Saint Callistratus instructed his companions in the faith and strengthened them. And they showed great courage in their suffering, and the Lord showed great power through them. The wicked persecutor sent soldiers to the prison by night, and they slew Saint Callistratus and his forty-nine companions. They suffered for the truth in 304. Over their relics a church was later erected.
2. HOLY APOSTLES MARK, ARISTARCHUS, AND ZENAS
Of the Seventy. Saint Mark, also called John. In the house of his mother Mary in Jerusalem the holy Apostles gathered for prayer (Acts 12:12). He preached the Gospel with the Apostles Paul and Barnabas (12:25), and was afterward bishop in the city of Byblus. Saint Aristarchus, a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul (Acts 16:29), was bishop of Apamea in Syria. Saint Zenas, or Zena, called by the Apostle Paul "the lawyer" (Titus 3:13), was bishop of Lydda in Palestine. They shone like stars in the darkness of paganism and converted many to the faith of Christ. And now they shine as stars in the Kingdom of their beloved Christ.
3. HOLY NEW MARTYR AQUILINA
From the village of Zakliveri in the diocese of Adrianople; an eighteen-year-old maiden. Her father had converted to Islam and was forcing his daughter to convert as well. But her mother upheld her in the faith of Christ. After many tortures, all wounded and bloodied, she breathed her last in the arms of her mother, and received the crown of martyrdom on September 27, 1764.
4. VENERABLE SABBATIUS OF SOLOVKI
He is commemorated with Saint Zosimas on April 17. He reposed in the Lord on September 27, 1435.
“One of Callistratus's ancestors, by the name of Neocorus, had served as a soldier in Jerusalem under Pontius Pilate at the time of the Passion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Hymn of Praise
Holy Callistratus prays to God,
Prays to God and gives God thanks
Amid the torments for the faith of Christ.
The torturer mocks Callistratus:
"You alone believe in the crucified Christ!
When I send you from this world,
There will not be a single Christian
In this great city." —
Holy Callistratus prays to God,
Prays to God, and says to the judge:
— "You will crush my sinful body
And stain the earth with my blood,
Upon that blood a church will rise,
By your sword I shall attain my goal!" —
As spoke the holy Callistratus,
As he spoke, so it came to pass:
His blood, like a clear trumpet,
Quickly awakened the conscience in men,
The city was baptized, a church was raised,
And the martyr reached his goal.
Now in heaven, in the heavenly host,
The soldier of Christ, holy Callistratus,
With his companions, among the angels,
Prays to God to deliver us also,
That through us also the Lord may be glorified!
“Upon that blood a church will rise, by your sword I shall attain my goal!”
Reflection
All our riches and glory and honor are like a single meal that ends with death. From that meal no one carries even a single crumb into the other world. Blessed is he who has understood that his soul is his only possession, which is not curtailed by anything, not even by death. Such a one thinks only of three things: of death, of the soul, and of God the Judge. "Keep constantly in remembrance the end that awaits you and the Judgment, and you will preserve your soul from sin," teaches Saint Evagrius. All our bodily cares in this life are cares about a meal that must soon come to an end. "Daily have death before your eyes," says Saint Isaiah the Hermit; "be ceaselessly concerned with how you will be separated from the body, how you will be able to pass through the domain of the powers of darkness who will meet you in the air, and how you will safely stand before God. Prepare yourselves for the dread day of giving account at the Judgment of God, as though you already see it." Once there came to Saint Sabbatius of Solovki a wealthy merchant named John who brought him much alms. Sabbatius would accept nothing of it all, but told the giver to distribute it all to the poor. John was greatly saddened, and the saint, wishing to comfort him and make all things clear, said to him: "My son John, remain here and rest until tomorrow, and tomorrow you will see the grace of God." John obeyed. The next day John entered the cell of Sabbatius and found the old man dead, and sensed a wondrous fragrance in the cell. He who foresees the end of his life does not think about earthly goods.
“Keep constantly in remembrance the end that awaits you and the Judgment, and you will preserve your soul from sin.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the righteousness of King Uzziah and the reward of God (II Chronicles 26), namely:
1. How the king did what was right before the Lord;
2. How, as long as he sought the Lord, God granted him success.
“How, as long as he sought the Lord, God granted him success.”
Homily
on the last prayer of Christ for the faithful
The grace of God is great, brethren; when a righteous man senses it, he weeps; and when a sinner senses it, he is ashamed. By the grace of God we are cleansed, enlightened, saved, adopted, and united with God Himself. But let no one understand this union with God to mean that we become of one essence with God and equal to God. Never shall we be of one essence with God nor equal to God in the sense in which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are of one essence and equal in essence. That they all may be one, says the Savior to His Father concerning His disciples, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee — meaning a unity of love and not a unity of nature. From love springs mutual obedience, mutual help, mutual mercy, meekness, humility, goodness, good will, and self-sacrifice. And when the Lord says: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48), He does not mean to make men equal to God, but to show them the supreme example of perfection in every good. For many human teachers have held up and hold up an example of perfection in something and in someone other than God; indeed, they have often taught men evil and held up evil and examples of evil as perfection. Therefore the Lord teaches men to take the heavenly Father as the example of every perfection, and to strive and aspire toward that true perfection and not some other. By the grace of God we are adopted, and we are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). But we do not become gods; we do not become equal to the hypostases of the Holy Trinity. Do not forget that it is written in Scripture: the heavens are not clean in His sight (Job 15:15), meaning the magnificent heavenly powers, and how much less man. But by the grace of God, and because of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, the faithful are raised into a unity with God through love and spirit. Let us therefore strive to do the will of God, that we may in truth be raised to such a magnificent height. O Lord Jesus, our God, God of all grace and goodness, sustain us to the end in Thy grace, and be not wroth with us, but forgive us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“**That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee** (John 17:21) The grace of God is great, brethren; when a righteous man senses it, he weeps; and when a sinner senses it, he is ashamed.”