Lives of the Saints
1. SAINT ABERCIUS, EQUAL TO THE APOSTLES
In the time of Emperor Antoninus, Saint Abercius was a bishop in the city of Hierapolis in Phrygia. In that city there was an enormous majority of pagans, and Saint Abercius guided his small flock, grieving in his heart over such a multitude of pagans and idolaters, and praying fervently to God to turn them to the light of truth. During a noisy pagan festival, Abercius was inflamed with zeal for God, entered the pagan temple, and smashed all the idols. When the enraged pagans wanted to kill him, at that very moment three demon-possessed youths fell before the man of God, foaming and howling, and the man of God cast the demons out of them, and the youths became healthy and calm. Seeing this, the pagans turned their anger to admiration for the wonderworker of Christ, and immediately five hundred of them received baptism. Little by little the entire city of Hierapolis believed in Christ and was baptized. Publius, the proconsul of that region, had a blind mother. Abercius restored her sight through prayer, and Publius, his mother, and a multitude of other people believed in Christ. In his old age, Saint Abercius was summoned to Rome, where he healed the emperor's daughter who had gone mad. Several times the Lord Christ appeared to His faithful follower. People from near and far came to him for wonderworking help with incurable afflictions. The demons not only feared him but even served him at his command. By the instruction of the Lord Himself, he preached the Gospel in Syria and Mesopotamia as well. In deep old age he presented himself to his beloved Lord in the city of Hierapolis, at the end of the second century.
2. VENERABLE LOT
A great ascetic of Egypt. A contemporary of Arsenius the Great and Agathon. He practiced asceticism in his own monastery near a lake by the city of Arsinoe, and instructed many brethren on the path of salvation. His close friend and counselor was Abba Joseph. Once Lot said to Joseph: "Abba, I fast as much as I can, I keep the rule of prayer and silence and meditation, and I further guard myself as best I can from impure thoughts. What, then, should I yet do?" Then the elder arose, raised his hands toward heaven, and his ten fingers shone like ten flaming candles. And he answered Lot: "If you wish, then become all fire!" Having pleased God and instructed many on the path of salvation, Saint Lot reposed peacefully in the fifth century.
3. COMMEMORATION OF THE MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE OF MOSCOW FROM THE LITHUANIANS BY THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS
In the time of Prince Basil Ivanovich, the Lithuanians had occupied Moscow, and the Russians stood in great despair. Then Saint Sergius of Radonezh appeared to a certain captive bishop, Arsenius, and promised him that on the following day Moscow would be cleansed of the Lithuanians by the power and prayer of the Holy Most Pure One. And indeed, the next day the Lithuanians fled from the city, and the Russian army entered Moscow. And all the people with tears of joy glorified God and the Most Holy Theotokos.
“If you wish, then become all fire!”
Hymn of Praise
Holy Abercius, a model of meekness,
Is a most beautiful model of Christian zeal:
He zealously overthrew the mute idols,
And gladly exposed his life to peril.
But God guards the servant who is zealous for Him,
With His right hand He shields him from evil.
Demons and men rose up against the saint,
But before the power of the Cross they were shamefully silenced.
Whatever the saint desired, the Lord granted him,
And in much sorrow greatly comforted him;
As a pillar of flame holy Abercius
Shone upon people, and enlightened them.
He witnessed to Christ before many nations,
Before mighty emperors and lowly folk;
With many miracles he witnessed to Christ,
He poured forth miracles like living water.
And he gave drink to the thirsty with the life-giving word,
And fed the hungry with the teaching of Christ.
Holy Abercius, a model of meekness,
Presented himself to God in honored old age.
In Paradise he was crowned with eternal youth,
And surrounded with glory and the joy of Paradise.
O wondrous saint, be zealous yet a little more,
Protect on earth the flock that remains.
From Christ entreat mercy for it by thy prayer,
That the Church may boast of thee unto the end.
“As a pillar of flame holy Abercius shone upon people, and enlightened them.”
Reflection
As much as the strictness of holy men toward themselves is worthy of admiration, so equally admirable is their mercy toward others. Selflessness for themselves and solicitude for others. Saint Hilarion the Great, having nothing with which to pay for passage to Sicily, offered the master of the ship his Gospel book, which he had written by his own hand in his youth. And when he healed a certain prince of an unclean spirit, the prince wished to give him ten litras of gold. The saint did not accept the gold but showed the prince a barley loaf and said: "Those who feed on such bread regard gold as mud!" But when people begged him to obtain rain from God for them by his prayer, or save them from a flood, or deliver them from a fierce serpent, Saint Hilarion responded to them and helped the people by his prayer. So too did Saint Abercius act. Seeing many people in afflictions and illnesses, he knelt in one place and prayed to God that God would open up a hot healing spring there, so that all the afflicted might be healed and glorify God. And God by His power opened a spring of hot water in that place. And when he healed the emperor's daughter of madness, the emperor offered him much gold and silver and other gifts. But Saint Abercius said to the emperor: "Wealth is not needed by one who considers bread and water a royal feast." But seeking nothing for himself, Abercius entreated the emperor to do two acts of mercy for his flock in Hierapolis, namely: to build a bathhouse over that healing spring, and to give each year a sufficient quantity of wheat to the poor citizens of Hierapolis. And the emperor agreed, and did as the saint requested.
“Wealth is not needed by one who considers bread and water a royal feast.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous healing of Aeneas in Lydda (Acts 9), namely:
1. How Aeneas had lain paralyzed for eight years;
2. How the Apostle Peter healed him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ;
3. How Aeneas arose in health.
Homily
on the beauty of Christ surpassing all beauty
Holy Scripture does not ascribe particular value to bodily beauty, nor in general to anything transient. Therefore every reader of Holy Scripture must be sufficiently attentive and wise to know how to apply praise of bodily beauty to the spirit and to spiritual values. Undoubtedly, the spiritual beauty gives a certain wondrous attractiveness even to the most uncomely body, just as a hideous soul makes even the most comely body repulsive. The Prophet David, having overflowed with a good word, speaks to his King, Christ the Lord: Thou art fairer than the children of men. The Lord created for Himself the bodily garment that He desired. Had He wished to appear in the world as the most physically beautiful man among all the sons of men, He could have done so. But we have not even a mention in the Gospel that He attracted people to Himself by His body or influenced people by His bodily form. He Himself said: The flesh profiteth nothing (John 6:63). It is clear, then, that David does not speak of the bodily beauty of Christ the King, but of His spiritual, divine beauty. This is moreover immediately evident from the further words of the Psalmist: Grace is poured upon Thy lips. The unsurpassable beauty of the Son of God is not, therefore, in the shape and form of His lips, but in the torrent of grace that pours forth from His lips. And we beheld Him, and He had no form nor comeliness, says the Prophet Isaiah again about Christ (Isaiah 53:2-3). How then does Isaiah agree with David? Quite well: David speaks of Christ's inner beauty, and Isaiah of Christ's outwardly humbled condition. We did not see Him as a king or a rich man, Isaiah wishes to say, but we saw Him as a servant and a sufferer. O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou art fairer to us than all men and angels — glory to Thy immortal and unfading beauty. Set aright, O gracious Lord, set aright the hideousness of our souls, disfigured by sin, we pray Thee. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“It is clear, then, that David does not speak of the bodily beauty of Christ the King, but of His spiritual, divine beauty.”