Lives of the Saints
1. HIEROMARTYR DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE
He is numbered among the Seventy lesser Apostles. This wondrous man was of a distinguished pagan family from Athens. Having completed his studies in philosophy at Athens, he went to Egypt to continue his education. At that time, one day the Lord Christ breathed His last upon the Cross, and the sun was darkened, and there was darkness in Egypt as well for three hours. Then Dionysius exclaimed: "Either the God who created the world is suffering, or this world is coming to an end." Returning to Athens, he married a woman named Damaris and had sons with her. He was a member of the supreme court of the Greeks, the Areopagus, whence he retained the name Areopagite. When the Apostle Paul preached the Gospel in Athens, Dionysius was baptized with his entire household. He was consecrated by Paul as bishop of Athens (for he had left wife, children, and position for the love of Christ). He traveled with Paul for a considerable time and became acquainted with all the other apostles of Christ. He traveled especially to Jerusalem to see the Most Holy Theotokos, and described that meeting with her in one of his works. He was also present at the funeral of the Most Holy and Most Pure One together with the other apostles. When his teacher Saint Paul suffered a martyr's death, Dionysius also desired such a death for himself. And he went to Gaul to preach the Gospel among the barbarians, together with Rusticus the presbyter and Eleutherius the deacon. They suffered much but also accomplished much. By his labors many pagans were converted to the faith of Christ. Dionysius built a small church in Paris where he served the divine services. When he was ninety years old, he was seized and tortured for Christ, together with Rusticus and Eleutherius, until all three were finally beheaded by the sword. The severed head of Saint Dionysius bounded a great distance and fell before a certain Christian woman named Catula, who honorably buried it together with his body. He suffered in the time of Domitian in the year 96. He wrote notable works: On the Divine Names, On the Celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, On Mystical Theology, and On the Most Holy Theotokos.
2. VENERABLE JOHN THE CHOZEBITE
An Egyptian. He practiced asceticism in the Chozeba Monastery in the time of Emperor Justinian. Whenever he served the Liturgy he beheld heavenly light in the sanctuary. Near him the elder Ananias also practiced asceticism. Wondrous was the humility of these saints. A certain man brought his half-crazed son to the elder Ananias, that he might heal him by prayer. Ananias sent him to Saint John, as one greater than himself. John could not disobey the elder, yet he cried out: "In the name of Jesus Christ, Ananias — not I — commands thee to come out of this young man!" And the young man was immediately healed.
3. VENERABLE DIONYSIUS OF THE CAVES, HIEROMONK AND RECLUSE
At Pascha in the year 1463, the following event befell him. With cross and censer he was making the rounds of the caves to cense the relics and tombs of the departed saints. And brimming with Paschal joy, upon entering the cave, he cried out: "Holy Fathers and brethren: Christ is Risen!" At that moment a voice thundered from the tombs, mighty as thunder: "Indeed He is Risen!"
4. SAINT HESYCHIUS THE HOREBITE
At first he was negligent regarding the salvation of his soul. But he fell gravely ill, and died, and returned from death, and was restored to health. This completely changed him. He shut himself in a cell on the Holy Mountain and did not speak a word to anyone for twelve years. Before his death the monks opened his cell and implored him to give them some instruction. He said only: "He who mindfully ponders death cannot sin." From him came the so-called "Hesychasts," who held silence, meditation on God, and the prayer of the mind to be the supreme activity of true monks. They had a special skete of Hesychasts, or those who kept silence, on the Holy Mountain. It is also said of Saint Gregory the Theologian that he was a practitioner of silence during the Honorable Fast. Saint Hesychius lived in the sixth century.
“He who mindfully ponders death cannot sin.”
Hymn of Praise
Dionysius, the fair hierarch,
Wondrous theologian, clear-voiced author,
With gathered mind in heart directed all to God,
He saw the heavenly mysteries and proclaimed them.
He saw all the glory of the heavenly order
And counted the Hierarchy of the heavens:
Principalities, Authorities, Dominions, Powers,
Wondrous Thrones, beloved Seraphim,
And Cherubim, and Archangels,
And the golden-winged Angels of God.
And the Mother of God he saw with awe,
And all that shines above the dust of earth.
Heavenly powers, powers without end,
Immortal suns, most radiant stars.
And all he saw he would not hide,
But to the Church did Dionysius reveal,
The Church he adorned and enriched.
His labors he gilded with his death,
A bloody death for his own Christ —
And therefore now in heaven he shines.
The angelic host that gleams with God
Calls Dionysius brother.
“Heavenly powers, powers without end, immortal suns, most radiant stars.”
Reflection
A vision of Saint Andrew. Walking the streets of Constantinople, holy Andrew one day saw a great and splendid funeral procession. A certain rich man had died, and his cortege was magnificent. But when he looked more closely, Andrew saw around the bier a multitude of black figures, leaping around the dead man with glee, some laughing like harlots, others barking like dogs, others grunting like swine, and still others sprinkling the body of the dead man with some foul liquid. And all of them mocked the chanters, saying: "You are singing over a dog!" Amazed, Andrew pondered what the deeds of that man must have been. And looking around, he saw a handsome young man standing against a wall and weeping. "By the God of heaven and earth, tell me, what is the cause of thy weeping?" asked Andrew. Then the young man told him that he had been the guardian angel of that deceased man, but that the man by his sins had grievously offended God, cast off the counsels of his angel, and completely surrendered himself to the black devils. And the angel said that the man had been a great and unrepentant sinner: a liar, a misanthrope, a miser, a perjurer, and a fornicator. He had defiled three hundred human souls by fornication. In vain was he honored by the emperor and esteemed by men. In vain also was that grand funeral procession. Death had overtaken him unrepentant, and his harvest had come upon him suddenly.
“And all of them mocked the chanters, saying: "You are singing over a dog!" Amazed, Andrew pondered what the deeds of that man must have been.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians (II Chronicles 32), namely:
1. How Sennacherib with his mighty army encircled the walls of Jerusalem and mocked the God of Israel;
2. How Hezekiah with the Prophet Isaiah fervently prayed to God for deliverance;
3. How an angel slew 185,000 Assyrians in the night; Sennacherib was slain by his own sons, and Jerusalem was saved.
Homily
on fear and joy in God
The Prophet of God speaks these words to earthly kings and judges. For they are inclined to pride and licentiousness because of the power and wealth given to them. O kings and judges, specks of dust beneath the feet of God, do not forget that you are but servants of God, hired laborers from one day to the next! About what does a hired laborer think while digging in a field all day? About the wages he will receive in the evening. In what does the hired laborer take pride? Not in his toil, but in his wages. In what does the hired laborer rejoice? In the labor and sweat, or in the wages? In the wages, of course. And your service in the field of this life is the toil of a hired laborer, O kings and judges. Therefore serve your Master, who has hired you, with fear, for you do not know how your Master will appraise your work at the end, or what wages He will give you. Serve with great humility, saying to yourselves: we are unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10). It is uncertain whether you will receive reward or punishment when you descend into the grave and appear before the King and Judge. Therefore fear must fill all the days of your service. Rejoice before Him with trembling. Rejoice with pure and holy joy, as the angels rejoice before the living and unapproachable God. Purity and holiness are the fragrance of the joy of Paradise, while malicious glee is accompanied by wanton laughter. Therefore the joy of Paradise is enduring, while the laughter of hell is followed by wrath and wailing. Serve with fear, for the Lord is righteous; rejoice with trembling, for the Lord is exalted and holy. O Lord our God, righteous and exalted, awesome and holy, our whole life on earth is service to Thee and joy in Thee. If we do not serve Thee, we serve our own destruction; and if we do not rejoice in Thee, we rejoice in our own dark evildoer. We bow down before Thee and pray to Thee: help us to guide our service by fear of Thee, and to purify our joy by trembling before Thee. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before Him with trembling.”