Lives of the Saints
1. VENERABLE ALYPIUS THE STYLITE
Alypius was born in Adrianople, a city in Paphlagonia, and from his youth was dedicated to God for service. As a deacon he served in the church under Bishop Theodore in that city. But desiring the solitary life, prayer, and contemplation of God, Alypius withdrew to a certain pagan cemetery outside the city, from which people fled as from a place of terror because of frequent demonic apparitions. There he erected a cross and built a church in honor of Saint Euphemia, who had appeared to him in a dream. Beside the church he raised a high pillar, climbed upon it, and spent on it in fasting and prayer a full fifty-three years. Neither the mockery of men nor the malice of demons could remove him from there or shake him in his purpose. Especially from demons this saint endured countless afflictions. Not only did demons frighten him with various apparitions, but they also struck him with stones and gave him no peace day or night for a long time. But valiant Alypius protected himself from demonic power with the sign of the Cross and the name of Jesus. Finally the defeated demons left him and fled, and people began to honor him and come to him for prayer, comfort, instruction, and healing. Around his pillar two monasteries were built, on one side a monastery for men and on the other for women. In the women's monastery lived both his mother and his sister. Saint Alypius guided the monks and nuns from his pillar by example and words, and shone for all like the sun from heaven, pointing the way to salvation. Such grace did this God-pleaser have that heavenly light often illumined him, and above him a pillar of that light rose to heaven. Alypius was a wondrous and mighty wonderworker both during his life and after his death. Having lived one hundred years, he reposed in 640 in the time of Emperor Heraclius. Of his holy relics, the head is preserved in Koutloumousiou Monastery on the Holy Mountain.
2. VENERABLE JAMES THE HERMIT
James was from Syria, a disciple of Saint Maron (February 14) and a contemporary of Saint Symeon the Stylite. He struggled under the open sky and fed on soaked lentils. He performed great miracles and even raised the dead by the name of Christ. Emperor Leo asked him for his opinion about the Council of Chalcedon. He reposed peacefully in 457.
3. VENERABLE STYLIANOS
Stylianos was a Paphlagonian, a compatriot and contemporary of Saint Alypius. He had surpassing love toward the Lord Jesus, and because of that love he devoted himself to great ascetic struggles. He renounced everything, only that he might have undivided love toward his Lord. Before death angels appeared to take his soul, and his face shone like the sun. A great wonderworker before and after death. He helps especially sick children and childless parents.
4. VENERABLE NIKON "REPENT"
Nikon was from Armenia. Moved by the Lord's words: everyone who has left father or mother shall receive a hundredfold and shall inherit eternal life, Nikon truly left all for Christ's sake and went to a certain monastery where he became a monk. When he had been perfected in all virtues, he left the monastery and went to preach the Gospel to people. He constantly cried out: "Repent!" for which reason he was called "Repent." As a preacher he traveled throughout all Anatolia and the Peloponnese. He worked miracles by prayer in Christ's name and peacefully passed to his beloved Lord. He reposed in Sparta in 998.
5. SAINT INNOCENT OF IRKUTSK, WONDERWORKER
He reposed in 1731. His wonder-working relics were discovered in 1804.
Hymn of Praise
Unbound from things, unbound from the world,
From life's cares and from passion's yoke,
Wholly devoted to prayer and contemplation of God —
This brought glory to holy Alypius.
On a pillar high, high, he raised himself,
Ever farther from earth, – to God nearer, nearer!
Wholly devoted to prayer and contemplation of God —
This brought glory to holy Alypius.
Let thunder roar, it shall not strike him.
Thunder the Lord directs and moves.
Wholly devoted to prayer and contemplation of God —
This brought glory to holy Alypius...
By prayer he shone like the bright sun
And his name remained through centuries renowned.
Thought of God created an immortal one,
Alypius the wondrous, God's pleaser.
In heaven now a great pillar shines,
This is the bright soul of holy Alypius.
And still to prayer wholly devoted for us
Alypius, the stylite – both yesterday and today.
From him even now evil spirits hide.
And we rejoice – in holy Alypius.
“Thought of God created an immortal one.”
Reflection
Many learned pagans have come to the Church of Christ and been baptized solely because the Church of Christ preaches immortal life as a proven fact and not as some intimation of human reason. Saint Clement of Rome had studied all of Greek philosophy and his soul remained unsatisfied and empty. As a young man of twenty-four he desired with all his soul to learn whether there was any other life besides this one and better than this one. Philosophy gave him only the opinions of various people but no actual proof. He grieved for his lost parents and brothers, and constantly tormented himself with the question of whether he would see them in some other life. All-seeing God directed his steps so that he met a certain man who told him about Christians and about their faith in life after death. This moved young Clement to set out immediately from Rome to Judea, that there, in the very cradle of the Christian Faith, he might come to reliable knowledge concerning life after death. When he heard the preaching of the Apostle Peter, all founded on Christ risen from the dead, Clement despised all philosophical conjectures and heartily embraced the Christian Faith, was baptized, and devoted himself entirely to the service of the Church of God. So then, so also today: whoever has strong faith in Christ risen, and clear knowledge about life after death and judgment, that one easily resolves to pay the price for entrance into that life, that is, to fulfill all God's commandments.
“Whoever has strong faith in Christ risen, and clear knowledge about life after death, easily resolves to pay the price for entrance into that life.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the wondrous creation of the world, namely:
1. How the Lord God created man, and woman from man;
2. How Adam and Eve were naked and were not ashamed, for they did not yet know sin.
Homily
on the purpose of the division of gifts, ministries, and callings
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12)
Therefore the Holy Spirit divided the gifts and made some apostles, others prophets, still others evangelists, and pastors and teachers – that the saints, that is, faithful Christians, might be perfected. Just as in a single household honors and duties are divided, so that there is one honor and duty of parents, another honor and duty of grown sons and daughters, a third honor and duty of young children and servants, but all together serve for the benefit of one another, so also in the house of God, in the holy Church: with every honor is bound a corresponding duty, and the duties of all are beneficial to all. Thus gradually and wisely is built the body of Christ, God's holy Church. Every believer, helped by others, grows and develops as a member of that body, in holiness and purity, and in appropriate measure and proportion to the whole great body. And the whole body, from the beginning to the end of time, especially from the Incarnation of God the Word on earth until the Last Judgment, is God's holy Church. A body – worthy of immortality, a building – worthy of God. The human eye cannot survey it all, nor can the human mind comprehend it. A building of chosen materials, of living bricks, of eyes and hearts. Without coarseness and ugliness; without corruption and disorder. Everything in its place, everything most beautiful, in the whole and in the parts. Behold, brethren, the goal of our journey! Behold the meaning of our burning in the furnace of suffering! Behold our life, better than all our plans and more beautiful than all our desires.
O Lord Jesus, our loving Lord, do not cast us away as poor material, but polish us and build us into Thy immortal body. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Every believer, helped by others, grows and develops as a member of that body, in holiness and purity.”