Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYRS MENAS, HERMOGENES AND EUGRAPHIS
Both Menas and Hermogenes were Athenians by origin. Both lived in Constantinople, being held in great honor both by the emperor and by the people. Menas was known for his great learning and eloquence, and outwardly held himself as an unbeliever, but in his heart was a convinced Christian. Hermogenes was the eparch of Constantinople, and held to unbelief both outwardly and inwardly, though he was merciful and did many good deeds. When a certain dispute broke out between Christians and unbelievers in Alexandria, Emperor Maximinus sent Menas to calm the disturbance and to eradicate Christianity from that city. Menas went and established peace, but declared himself a Christian, and converted many unbelievers to the true Faith by eloquence and many miracles. Hearing of this, the emperor sent Hermogenes to punish Menas and suppress Christianity. Hermogenes brought Menas to trial, cut off his feet and tongue, and put out his eyes, then cast him into prison. In prison the Lord Jesus Himself appeared to Menas, healed and comforted His sufferer. Seeing Menas wondrously healed, Hermogenes was baptized and began to preach the mighty Faith of Christ. And Hermogenes was appointed bishop in Alexandria. Then the enraged Maximinus himself went to Alexandria and subjected Menas and Hermogenes to great tortures, which they bravely endured, aided by God's grace. Seeing the courage of these soldiers of Christ and God's wonders upon them, Eugraphis, the secretary and friend of Saint Menas, appeared before the tribunal and cried out to the emperor's face: *I too am a Christian! * The emperor flew into a rage, drew his sword and struck down Saint Eugraphis. Then the impious emperor ordered that the executioners slay with the sword Saints Menas and Hermogenes. Their holy relics, cast into the sea, by wondrous means floated to Constantinople, where the bishop, to whom this was revealed in a dream, solemnly received them and honorably buried them.
2. VENERABLE ANGELINA AND SAINT JOVAN THE DESPOT
Angelina was the daughter of the Albanian prince George Skanderbeg and wife of Stefan, the Serbian despot, son of George. She endured exile with her husband and shared with him every bitterness of life both in Serbia and in Albania and Italy. She raised her sons, Maksim and Jovan, in the true Christian spirit. After the death of her husband she became a nun and gave herself entirely to prayer, works of mercy, and the building and restoration of holy temples. A faithful spouse, excellent mother and perfect Christian, she truly deserved the title Mother Angelina, as the people still call her. Her wonder-working relics rest with the relics of her righteous husband Stefan and their consecrated sons, Maksim and Jovan, in the monastery of Krušedol (if they have not been destroyed by the Turks). She reposed at the beginning of the sixteenth century and passed into the immortal kingdom (see July 30).
3. HOLY MARTYR GEMELLUS
Gemellus was an honorable citizen of the city of Ancyra. When Emperor Julian the Apostate came to that city, Gemellus went out before him and publicly denounced him for apostasy. For this he was tortured and crucified in the year 361. When he was in torments on the cross, a voice was heard from heaven: *Blessed art thou, Gemellus! *
4. VENERABLE THOMAS DEFOÚRKIN
Thomas was a great ascetic, vanquisher of demons and clairvoyant. Emperor Leo the Wise wrote him a letter, and he answered without opening the emperor's letter. He reposed in the Lord in deep old age in the ninth century.
Hymn of Praise
God's favorite, Saint Angelina,
Holy both in marriage and as a nun,
Patient in suffering, merciful in goodness,
In others' sorrow wholeheartedly sorrowful,
She gazed upon God, her Comforter,
Was blessed by the cross of Christ the Savior,
Comfort to her husband, example to her children,
The children of the holy mother became saints.
Whoever invokes the name of Mother Angelina,
Quickly will every suffering cease for him.
In the gloomy time when the kingdom fell,
When many by sin harmed their souls,
When Turkish darkness seized the land,
Angelina saved Serbian souls
Pointing to heaven both with spirit and with finger,
Comforting them with Christ, healing them with the cross.
And now she hastens to every suffering soul,
And with greater power both heals and comforts.
Whoever invokes the name of Mother Angelina,
Quickly will every suffering cease for him.
“Comfort to her husband, example to her children, the children of the holy mother became saints.”
Reflection
In countless ways the Living Lord knows how to caress and to punish, to deliver the faithful from afflictions, to convert unbelievers into believers, and to punish incorrigible persecutors of the Faith. When wicked Maximinus slew the glorious martyrs of Christ, Menas, Hermogenes and Eugraphis, he sat in a ship and set out from Alexandria with his retinue for Constantinople. But suddenly he went blind in his eyes, having already been blind in soul and mind, and began to complain to his own that some invisible hands were terribly beating him. Soon after he died evilly as he had lived evilly. In the time of Saint Ambrose such an incident also occurred: Empress Justina, a heretic, had persuaded a certain Euthymius, a nobleman from Milan, somehow to capture the bishop whom she hated and take him far away into exile. This Euthymius prepared a carriage and settled in a house near the church, that he might more easily seize Ambrose alone and carry him away in the carriage. And on the very day when he had arranged and prepared everything to capture Ambrose, there came an imperial order that Euthymius should immediately be driven into exile because of some misdeed. That day soldiers came, bound the evildoer and led him into exile in the very same carriage which he had prepared for Ambrose's banishment. On another occasion a certain Arian entered the temple where Saint Ambrose was serving, with the intention of hearing from his lips something for which he could accuse him. Looking, that heretic saw God's saint teaching the people, and saw beside him a bright angel whispering words into his ear. He became very frightened by this, was ashamed of himself, renounced heresy, and returned to Orthodoxy.
“On the very day when he had prepared everything to capture Ambrose, there came an imperial order that he himself should be driven into exile.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the flood of the world (Gen. 7), namely:
1. How before the water flooded the world there was a flood of wickedness in the world;
2. How the long-suffering God sent the flood because of human sins, and how the water flooded all the earth.
Homily
on Abraham
I am but dust and ashes (Gen. 18:27)
These are the words which righteous Abraham spoke concerning himself. Ridiculous are those people, brethren, who become proud because of their association with earthly princes and magnates, and begin to think highly of themselves. Abraham was deemed worthy to converse with the eternal and omnipotent King, yet he remained unshaken in his humility, calling himself dust and ashes. Who was this Abraham, that he should be deemed worthy of such divine favor in life, and praise after death both from the apostles (Gal. 3; Heb. 11) and even from the Lord Christ Himself (Luke 16:22; John 8:39)? A peasant who had all the virtues, living in all things according to God's law. A man with firm faith in God, just, hospitable, merciful, brave, obedient, pure and humble. Above all, Abraham was glorified by faith, mighty faith. Abraham was one hundred years old when God told him that his wife, hitherto childless, would bear him a son, and he believed. And even before Sarah bore Isaac, God said to Abraham: I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth (Gen. 13:16). And Abraham believed and did not doubt. And when his only son was born to Abraham, God commanded him, testing him, to offer that only son as a sacrifice, which Abraham was ready to do, had God not turned him back at the last moment. So faithful and obedient to God was this wondrous man. Therefore God blessed him and made him glorious on earth and in heaven.
Blessed are they, brethren, who without reasoning believe God and fulfill His holy commandments. God's blessing will accompany them in both worlds.
O blessed Creator of ours, bless us sinners also and establish us among Thy chosen ones, who have a part with Abraham in Thy Kingdom. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Abraham was deemed worthy to converse with the eternal and omnipotent King, yet he remained unshaken in his humility.”