Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYR PLATO
Plato was from the city of Ancyra in Galatia; a Christian by birth and upbringing. Even in his youth he showed great perfection in all the virtues. Plato did not hide his faith in Christ the Lord but preached it openly, denouncing the idolaters for worshiping dead creatures instead of the living Creator. For this he was brought to trial before the governor Agrippinus and was much interrogated and tortured by him. When the governor began to counsel him to avoid death and preserve his life by worshiping idols, Plato answered him: "There are two deaths, one temporal and the other eternal, and likewise there are two lives, one short-lived and the other endless." Then Agrippinus inflicted terrible tortures upon him. Among other things he commanded that red-hot iron balls be placed on his naked body; after that they stripped leather thongs from his skin. "Torture me even more cruelly," the martyr cried out to the torturer, "that thy inhumanity and my endurance may be clearly seen." When the torturer mentioned to the martyr that Plato the philosopher was a pagan philosopher, the martyr said to him: "Neither am I like Plato nor is Plato like me, except only in name. I teach and learn the wisdom which is Christ's, while he is a teacher of that wisdom which is foolishness before God." After this Plato was thrown into prison, where he spent eighteen days without food or water. When the guards marveled that Plato could live while starving for so long, he said to them: "Ye are satisfied with meat while I with holy prayers; wine gladdens you while Christ, the true Vine, gladdens me." He was finally beheaded by the sword around the year 266 and received the crown of eternal glory.
2. HOLY MARTYRS ROMANUS AND BARULAS
Holy Romanus was a deacon of the Church of Caesarea. Once he zealously preached the Gospel in Antioch. And when it was a certain idolatrous feast and the governor of Antioch, Asclepiades, wished to enter a pagan temple to offer sacrifice, Romanus stood before him and said to him: "Thou errest, O governor, when thou goest to idols; idols are not gods but Christ is the only true God." The enraged governor subjected Romanus to tortures, and Saint Romanus was beaten and scraped without mercy. At that moment Saint Romanus saw a child named Barulas and said to Asclepiades: "Even this little child is wiser than thou, old man, for he knows the true God while thou dost not." The governor began to question Barulas about the faith, and Barulas declared his faith in Christ the Lord as the only true God in opposition to the false idols. Then Asclepiades commanded that little Barulas be beheaded by the sword and that Saint Romanus be strangled in prison in the year 303. And thus both these martyrs inherited the Kingdom of Christ.
“There are two deaths, one temporal and the other eternal, and likewise there are two lives, one short-lived and the other endless.”
Hymn of Praise
Barulas saw the torments of holy Romanus,
And Romanus saw Barulas tearfully weeping;
In Barulas was a soul childishly innocent,
In Barulas a heart purer than a lily,
Then the malicious governor questioned Barulas:
"Come, child, tell the truth without deceit:
Is Christ better or are our gods better?"
"Better, better is Christ than your idols!"
"Had I known, child, I would not have even asked thee!
Why is Christ better? come, tell me that too."
"Christ is Creator of the world created,
Idols are phantoms of the demonic kingdom."
The governor raged and beat the boy,
But it was sweet to the boy, so he spoke more loudly:
"Forsake, O people, the accursed demons,
God is Christ alone, He enlightens people."
Beside Barulas his mother said encouraging her son:
"Be found worthy, my son, of the martyr's rank."
Like a lamb Barulas bowed his head beneath the sword,
And glorified Christ, and himself, and his mother.
Reflection
If anyone strikes thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matt. 5:39), the Lord commanded. This is the shortest and clearest expression of the teaching about meekness. Evil demons fear nothing so much in man as the meek fulfillment of the Lord's commandments. In Alexandria there was a certain rich man and nobleman who had a young daughter into whom an evil spirit entered, and the daughter lost her mind. Someone told the despairing father that no one could heal his daughter except the hermit monks who lived in the desert and came to Alexandria from time to time to sell baskets, their handiwork; but none of them would wish to enter the house of a rich nobleman if he told them why he was summoning them. But it would be best for him to buy baskets from them and invite them to his house to pay them, and when they had entered the house, then to ask them to pray to God for all the household, so that God might help and heal the demented girl. The father obeyed, went to the market on the appointed day, and found a disciple of Saint Macarius selling baskets. He quickly bought the baskets and invited the monk to his house to pay him. When the monk entered the house, the mad daughter suddenly jumped before the monk and struck him forcefully with her hand on one cheek. Silently the monk quickly turned the other cheek. Then the evil spirit cried out bitterly and fled from the girl. And the girl became completely calm and rational. When the monk returned to the desert, he told the elders what had happened. And they all glorified God that He gave such power to him who fulfills His commandments.
“Silently the monk quickly turned the other cheek. Then the evil spirit cried out bitterly and fled from the girl.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the wondrous creation of the world, namely:
1. How on the fifth day God created the creatures that live in the water and the birds of heaven in the air;
2. How God blessed them to be born and multiply.
Homily
on the love that surpasses knowledge
To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge (Eph. 3:19)
The love that surpasses knowledge, that transcends our comprehension, is the love of Christ. No one can even surmise either the quality or the magnitude of that love until Christ dwells in him. Can anyone surmise the taste of honey if he has never tasted honey with his mouth? Only when Christ enters by faith into man's heart does man sense the ineffable taste of Christ's love, its sweet and intoxicating fragrance, and its unattainable all-embracingness. Just as man having Christ in his heart touches the breadth and length and depth and height of the knowledge of divine wisdom, so likewise having Christ in his heart man touches the boundless abyss of the divine love of Christ. O my brethren, how pale are words when one must speak about the love of Christ – never and nowhere are they more pale and powerless than there. Truly, what can be said before such surprising proofs of His love: He created us out of love, was incarnate out of love, out of love accepted mockery and death for our sake, out of love opened heaven to us and revealed to us the immortal glory prepared for us! But even what we have enumerated is only something of all that inexhaustible wealth, glory, beauty, and life-giving nourishment that is called the love of Christ. O if only we might be made worthy by faith for the Lord Jesus to dwell in our hearts, that we might taste His love indescribable!
O Lord Jesus Christ, our life, our wisdom, and our love, cleanse us and dwell in us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“He created us out of love, was incarnate out of love, out of love accepted mockery and death for our sake.”