Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYR LONGINUS
The divine Evangelist Matthew, describing the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ, says: Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God (Matthew 27:54). That centurion was this blessed Longinus, who together with two more of his soldiers believed in the Son of God, Jesus. He was the commander of the soldiers who were present at the crucifixion of the Lord on Golgotha, and the commander of the guard that watched over the tomb. When the Jewish leaders learned of Christ's Resurrection, they bribed the soldiers to spread the false report that Christ had not risen but that His disciples had stolen Him. The Jews also attempted to bribe Longinus, but he would not be bribed. Then the Jews resorted to their customary method -- they resolved to kill Longinus. Learning of this, Longinus removed his soldier's belt, was baptized by the apostles together with those two companions of his, and together with them secretly departed from Jerusalem and moved to Cappadocia. There he gave himself over to fasting and prayer, and as a living witness of Christ's Resurrection he converted many pagans to the true Faith by his testimony. After that he withdrew to a village on his father's estate. But Jewish malice did not leave him in peace even there. At the slander of the Jews, Pilate sent soldiers to behead Longinus. Holy Longinus foresaw in spirit the approach of his executioners and went out to meet them and brought them into his home without telling them who he was. Well hosted, the soldiers lay down to sleep, and Saint Longinus stood in prayer and prayed the whole night, preparing himself for death. In the morning he went and brought his two companions also, dressed himself in white burial garments, instructed the members of his household, and showed them a place on a small hill where they should bury him. Then he revealed himself to the soldiers and told them that he was Longinus, whom they were seeking. The soldiers were confused and ashamed, and did not wish to behead Longinus, but he insisted that they fulfill the command of their superior. And so Longinus and his two companions were beheaded. The soldiers brought the head of Longinus to Pilate, and Pilate handed it over to the Jews, who buried it in a dung heap outside the city.
2. VENERABLE LONGINUS THE LABORIOUS
A monk of the Kiev Caves Monastery from the fourteenth century. He was the gatekeeper of the monastery, and had so pure and grace-filled a heart that he always knew with what thoughts someone was entering the monastery and with what thoughts another was leaving. The wonderworking relics of Longinus repose in the Caves of Theodosius.
Hymn of Praise
Holy Longinus stood beneath the Cross,
When Christ upon the Cross breathed His last.
Longinus saw the wrath of gracious heaven,
Longinus saw the earth begin to quake,
The brilliant sun, how it lost its rays,
And the whole world in darkness was arrayed,
Many graves were opened wide,
And many dead appeared to the living.
Brave Longinus was filled with fear,
And cried out with a penitent sigh:
"This Man was the Son of God!
Sinful men crucified the Innocent One!"
Beside him two companion soldiers
Repeated the exclamation of their centurion.
Longinus was a witness of the Resurrection,
Just as he had been a witness of the humiliation,
A personal witness, a witness true,
Longinus did not wish to hide the truth,
Wherever he went he proclaimed the truth,
And glorified Christ God, the Risen One.
A soldier of Christ he remained until death,
And for Christ, Longinus gave his head.
“This Man was the Son of God! Sinful men crucified the Innocent One!”
Reflection
The first appearance of the Holy Martyr Longinus. Much time had passed since the martyric death of Saint Longinus, when it happened that a certain widow in Cappadocia went blind. The physicians could not help her at all. Suddenly the thought came to her to go to Jerusalem and venerate the holy places there, so that someone might help her. And she had an only son, a boy, who served as her guide. No sooner had she arrived in Jerusalem than her son fell ill and died. O what immeasurable grief for a blind mother! Having lost her eyes, she now lost her only son, whose eyes had been leading her until then! But in that torment and sorrow, Saint Longinus appeared to her and comforted her with the promise that he would restore her sight and show her son in heavenly glory. Longinus told her all about himself, and then directed her to go outside the city walls to the refuse and dung heap, to dig up his head there, and then she herself would see what would happen to her. The woman arose, and staggering along somehow made her way outside the city, called out to someone and begged them to lead her to the largest dung heap and leave her there. When she was brought to the dung heap, she bent down and began to dig with her hands, having a strong faith that she would find what the saint had told her to seek. Digging thus, she touched the head of the holy martyr, and in that moment her eyes were opened, and she saw beneath her hands the head of a man. Filled with gratitude to God and with great joy, she took the head of Saint Longinus, washed it, anointed it with incense, and placed it in her dwelling as the most precious treasure of this world.
“I sought bodily eyes, but I found spiritual eyes as well. I was sorrowful over the death of my son, but now I have him in heaven, where he stands in glory with the prophets and rejoices with them unceasingly.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the courage of the Holy Archdeacon Stephen in confessing Christ (Acts 7), namely:
1. How Saint Stephen enumerated the miracles and mercies of God toward the people of Israel through the ages;
2. How he exposed the God-opposing nature and crimes of the Jewish leaders;
3. How he called them betrayers and murderers of Christ.
Homily
on the mountains and the depths of God
Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep (Psalm 36:6)
The mountains of God's righteousness cut through all the distances of time and space, rising from the earth to the heavens, and from the clouds of time they rise into the serenity of eternity. Are not the saints the bearers of God's righteousness? Behold how they cut through time and space! Born in time, they now rejoice in eternity; living in eternity, they descend to us in time and help us, as stronger brothers help weaker brothers. They lived on earth in a limited space, yet now the whole universe glorifies them. On all five continents of the world temples are raised in honor of the apostles, martyrs and other righteous ones of God. Such are the mountains of God's righteousness: you cannot limit them, you cannot encompass them, you cannot measure them by any measure of this world. What mountains can be compared with the mountains of God? What men can be compared with the men of God? What glory can be compared with the glory of those whom God has glorified? O my brethren, let us rejoice in the righteousness of God, and let us delight in the lofty mountains of God's righteousness. *Thy judgments are a great deep. * That is: the judgments of Thy Providence are unsearchable as a great deep. Thou didst cast Job upon the dung heap to glorify him; Thou didst raise Saul upon the throne so that he himself would tumble into the abyss. Thou hast mercy on the sinner and givest him abundance and health so that he might repent; Thou strikest the righteous one to strengthen him in faith and hope! Thy holy Church is the highest mountain of Thy righteousness, the mother of many mountains. Thy holy Church, O God, searches out Thy judgments and Thy ways, and her wisdom is abundant and sweet as a honeycomb filled with honey. O Lord, dispel the clouds of malice from our hearts, that we may know Thy judgments and see Thy ways. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“The mountains of God's righteousness cut through all the distances of time and space, rising from the earth to the heavens, and from the clouds of time they rise into the serenity of eternity.”