Lives of the Saints
1. VENERABLE GREGORY THE DECAPOLITE
Gregory was born in Decapolis in Isauria of distinguished and pious parents, Sergius and Mary. When he finished school, his parents wished to marry him off, but he fled to the desert and became a monk. He lived in various places, such as Byzantium, Rome, and Mount Olympus. Wherever he was, he everywhere amazed people with his ascetic struggles and miracles. It happened that heavenly light illumined him; that the angels of God appeared to him. He beheld angelic beauty and heard their tender singing. He lived long and in a God-pleasing manner, and reposed peacefully in the ninth century in Constantinople, his soul passing into the joy of his Lord.
2. SAINT PROCLUS, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE
Proclus was a disciple of Saint John Chrysostom. In the year 426 he was consecrated as Bishop of Cyzicus, and in 435 he was chosen as Patriarch of Constantinople. He governed the Church of God as a wise hierarch. During his time two notable events occurred. First, the relics of Saint John Chrysostom were transferred from Comana to Constantinople, at the wish of the emperor and patriarch. And at that time Emperor Theodosius the Younger reigned with his sister Pulcheria. Second, there was a great earthquake in Constantinople and the surrounding area. Many of the most beautiful and largest buildings collapsed from the terrible tremor. Then the patriarch with the emperor and a multitude of clergy, nobles, and people went out in procession. And as they were praying to God in the procession, it happened that a certain child was miraculously taken high into the air so that finally it could no longer be seen with the eyes. After this it returned and descended gently to the earth. When asked where the child had been, it answered that it had been taken to heaven among the angels and had heard how the angels sing: *Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us! * Hearing that hymn, all the people in the procession began to sing it, and the earthquake immediately ceased. From that time this wondrous hymn became established in the Church. And that child soon reposed and was buried in the church of Saint Irene. Saint Proclus served as hierarch for twenty years and reposed peacefully in the Lord in the year 446.
3. HOLY MARTYRS EUSTATHIUS, THESPESIOS, AND ANATOLIOS
The three brothers were from Nicomedia, of pagan parents Philotheus and Eusebeia, who later received the true faith from Saint Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia, together with their sons. Philotheus was ordained as a presbyter. When he reposed with his wife, a terrible persecution of Christians began under the wicked Emperor Maximian, and the three sons of Philotheus were brought to trial. They were judged, tortured, interrogated in various ways, and finally condemned to death. Many times angels appeared to them in prison, giving them manna for food and filling their young hearts with strength and courage in suffering. When they were led to the place of execution, two friends approached them, Paladios and Akakios, and conversed with them. And while they were still in conversation, the holy martyrs gave up their souls to God. Then the soldiers cut off their dead heads and took them away to show the judge. They suffered for Christ the Lord around the year 313 and passed into the immortal Kingdom of Christ.
4. SAINT ISAAC, ARCHBISHOP OF ARMENIA
Isaac was born in Constantinople at a time when his father was the ambassador of the Armenian King at the Byzantine court. He was the tenth Archbishop of Armenia, and in that capacity governed the Church for fifty years. He marked his pastoral ministry, among other things, with a translation of Holy Scripture into the Armenian language. In a vision it was told him that the Armenians would in time depart from the pure Orthodox Faith. This notable hierarch reposed peacefully in the year 440 and appeared before the Lord.
5. THREE HOLY VIRGINS
They were persian women. In the time of King Shapur these three virgins were persecuted as Christians and were finally cut to pieces with knives. From their grave grew three fig trees which healed every pain and disease.
“From their grave grew three fig trees which healed every pain and disease.”
Hymn of Praise
Glorious disciple of a glorious teacher,
O most wise Proclus, servant of the Savior,
Thou didst strengthen the faith, exterminate heresies,
Therefore the holy Church sings thy glory,
And the Church magnifies its great one,
Who glorified himself by glorifying God.
As a skilled helmsman thou didst steer the Church,
And beheld miracles, and glorified God.
Of prophetic spirit, of grace-filled mind,
Thou didst serve the Spirit like a resonant string.
Taught by the Spirit thou didst teach the emperor
To transfer the relics of the Golden-mouthed Patriarch.
With the people and emperor thou didst behold openly
Miracles from the relics manifested gloriously.
Now pray for us in immortal Paradise,
That the faithful may persevere in the faith to the end!
“Taught by the Spirit thou didst teach the emperor to transfer the relics of the Golden-mouthed Patriarch.”
Reflection
No mortal has interpreted the epistles of the Apostle Paul with greater love and with greater depth than Saint John Chrysostom. If Saint Paul himself had interpreted himself, he could not have interpreted better. And behold, history tells us that it was indeed Paul himself interpreting himself through the mind and pen of Chrysostom. When Saint Proclus was a novice with the golden-mouthed patriarch, his duty was to announce visitors. A certain nobleman was slandered before Emperor Arcadius, and the emperor drove him from the court. That nobleman came to ask Saint Chrysostom for intercession with the emperor on his behalf. Proclus wished to announce him to the patriarch, but looking through the half-open door he saw a certain man standing bent over the patriarch and whispering something in his ears while the patriarch wrote. And this continued until dawn. Proclus then told the nobleman to come another evening, and he himself remained in wonder at who that strange man was with the patriarch and how he could have entered the patriarch's chamber unannounced. The second night the same thing happened again. And Proclus was in even greater wonder. The third night the same thing happened again. And Proclus was in the greatest wonder. And when Chrysostom asked him whether such and such a nobleman had come, Proclus answered that he had already been waiting three nights to enter, but that he had not dared to announce him because of a certain strange man, elderly and bald, who for three nights had been whispering something in the patriarch's ears. The astonished Chrysostom said that he did not remember anyone entering his chamber the last three nights. And when he asked his novice what the strange man looked like, Proclus pointed to the icon of the holy Apostle Paul and said he looked just like that. It was, therefore, the Apostle Paul himself who was guiding the mind and pen of his greatest interpreter.
Contemplation
Contemplate the wondrous creation of the world, namely:
1. How God the Holy Trinity took counsel with Himself about the creation of man;
2. How God created man in His own image.
Homily
on conduct worthy of the calling
That ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering (Eph. 4:1–2)
That ye be not proud, that ye be not wrathful, that ye be not faint-hearted; for all this is unworthy of the Christian calling. And that calling is so high and wondrous that it is difficult for man to guard himself from pride; difficult to restrain himself above faint-heartedness in dangers and losses. Against these three unhealthy states the apostle sets forth three healthy states, namely: against pride, lowliness; against wrath, meekness; against faint-heartedness, longsuffering. These three virtues – lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering – do not, one might say, fully express the height of the Christian calling. But nothing in this world fully expresses the height of the Christian calling. The preciousness and wealth of that calling cannot even be seen here on earth; it is like a closed chest which a man carries closed through this world, but opens and brings forth treasures from it in the other world. The height of the Christian calling could only be assessed by one who could ascend to the highest heavens and see Christ the Lord in glory with the angels and saints. There is the victorious assembly of all the God-pleasers from the earth who have been made worthy of high, high honor.
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, Thy name is the dearest name to us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Against pride, lowliness; against wrath, meekness; against faint-heartedness, longsuffering.”