Lives of the Saints
1. The Venerable Macrina
The eldest sister of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory of Nyssa. As a maiden she was betrothed early to a certain young man of noble birth. But when her betrothed died, Macrina vowed never to enter into marriage, saying: "It is not right that a maiden, betrothed to one bridegroom, should go to another; by the law of nature there should be but one marriage, as there is but one birth and one death." She further justified this by her faith in the resurrection, considering her betrothed not dead but living in God. "It is a sin and a shame," she said, "for a wife not to keep faith with her husband when he has departed to some distant land." After that, together with her mother Emilia, she received the monastic tonsure in a certain convent, where they labored in asceticism with other nuns. They lived by the labor of their own hands, devoting the greater part of their time to the contemplation of God, to prayer, and to the unceasing elevation of the mind toward God. In time her mother died, and after her, her brother Basil. Nine months after the death of Basil, Gregory came to visit his sister, but found her on her deathbed. Before death itself, Saint Macrina raised a prayer to the Lord: "Thou, O Lord, dost give rest to our bodies in the sleep of death for a time, and Thou shalt awaken them again at the last trumpet. Forgive me and grant that when my soul puts off the garment of the body, it may stand before Thee spotless and without sin, and may be as incense before Thee." Then she made the sign of the cross with her hand upon her forehead, upon her eyes, upon her face, upon her heart — and breathed her last. She reposed in the Lord in the year 379.
2. The Venerable Dius
By origin from Antioch of Syria, of Christian parents. In his youth he was instructed in the monastic life and asceticism by God-inspired men. After enduring a prolonged and arduous battle against the devil and bodily lust, he was granted by God the great gift of wonderworking. In his prayers he most frequently turned to the Holy Trinity. He worked great and awesome miracles by the power of his prayer: thus he caused a dry staff to become green, a dry well to fill with water, and an unfaithful man to die and then be raised again. After a certain twofold heavenly vision, he left Antioch and moved to Constantinople, where near the city he continued his ascetic labor. His fame soon spread, so that even Emperor Theodosius the Younger visited him to receive counsel from him, and Patriarch Atticus prevailed upon him and ordained him as a presbyter. Having lived many years, he prepared himself for death, received Holy Communion, instructed the brethren, lay down upon his bed, and before the eyes of all was dead. The news of his death drew a great multitude; the Patriarch Atticus also came, together with the Patriarch Alexander of Antioch. But when they were about to bury him, he suddenly arose as though awakened from sleep and said: "God has granted me fifteen more years of this life." And Saint Dius lived exactly fifteen more years, and guided many on the path of salvation, healed many, helped many in various afflictions and misfortunes, and at last surrendered his soul to the Lord, Whom he had faithfully served his whole life. He reposed in the year 430, in deep old age.
3. Commemoration of Stefan the Tall (Stefan Lazarevic)
The son of the holy Prince Lazar of Serbia and Princess Milica. A defender of Christianity in the Balkans in the most difficult of days. The founder of the splendid endowments of Manasija and Kalenica. After many labors and afflictions, he died on July 19, in the year 1427.
“It is a sin and a shame for a wife not to keep faith with her husband when he has departed to some distant land.”
Hymn of Praise
From early youth unto heavy old age
Dius counted the wonders of God's mercy,
Of God's mercy and God's righteousness.
Day and night Dius directed his mind
Toward the divine light, toward the divine paths,
Driving away the passions and the fierce demons.
What is a human being? Muddy water
That cannot receive the image of the heavenly vault.
Can muddy water become clear,
So that the heavens may be reflected in it?
It can, Dius affirms, by the way of the saints,
But through the Cross of Christ the Savior.
Place the Cross in your heart, in the center of your being,
Nail your mind upon it — and you shall see God.
And the muddy water shall be made clear,
And you shall behold wonders, till then unseen.
“Can muddy water become clear, so that the heavens may be reflected in it? It can, but through the Cross of Christ the Savior.”
Reflection
The most beautiful adornment of a woman is modesty, just as a woman's shamelessness is the most unnatural and most repulsive sight in the world. A wonderful example of feminine modesty was shown in her life by Saint Macrina. In her youth, a certain grievous wound opened on her breast. Although her mother counseled her to show the wound to a physician and seek a cure, Macrina would in no way consent to this. She had completely dedicated herself to God and could not allow even the thought of baring her body before people, not even before her own mother. One night Macrina fervently prayed to God. From her eyes tears poured into the dust before her. With unwavering trust in her Lord, she kneaded the dust with her tears using her fingers and anointed her wound with it. The next morning she awoke healed. And when her mother entered with great sorrow to see her daughter, the latter would not tell her that the Lord had healed her, but asked her mother, saying: "I shall be healed, my mother, if thou dost place thy right hand upon my breast and make the sign of the cross upon the afflicted spot." Her mother placed her hand and made the sign of the cross over that place, but no longer felt the wound, only the scar of a wound that had healed. Thus did Saint Macrina conceal her body out of modesty, and her wonderworking out of humility.
“The most beautiful adornment of a woman is modesty, just as a woman's shamelessness is the most unnatural and most repulsive sight in the world.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the wondrous prophecy of Balaam (Numbers 23-24), namely:
1. How Balaam came at the invitation of Prince Balak to curse the people of Israel;
2. How instead of cursing, Balaam blessed them, directed to do so by the Spirit of God;
3. How Balaam prophesied Christ, saying: "There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel."
Homily
on the apostolic love and foresight
Let your hearts be opened, brethren, that you may receive and understand this great mystery. First, the Apostle says that he will not be negligent in reminding the faithful of the saving truths of the faith, of the divine powers that were given to men through Christ the Lord, and of the preparation of men to receive those divine powers by fleeing from the bodily lusts of this world. And now he goes further still and promises that he will continue this reminding even after his decease, that is, after his departure from this life, when he shall have cast off his body. O divine faith, O consolation, O sweetness! The Apostle promises from the other world to continue caring for the Church of God on earth, to continue the work he began of reminding the faithful, to continue his love for those who believe in Christ on earth. O apostolic love, so close to the love of Christ! O apostolic foresight, which the Spirit of God does not withhold from love even while man is yet wrapped in the dark veil of the body!
This promise to the faithful the Apostle Peter made nearly two thousand years ago. And has he fulfilled it? He has fulfilled it to the letter, and not only — as some would interpret — by reminding the faithful through his written epistles and through his successors, the bishops, but principally by his unceasing action upon the Church from the other world. Many times the Apostle Peter appeared — as did the other apostles — whenever by the Providence of God there was need for him to appear, and he admonished the pastors of the Church and the faithful as to how they ought to hold to the truth and how to correct the path of their lives. But even when he did not appear to be seen in a dream or in waking life, he acted in mysterious ways known to heaven, and continues to act even now, for our salvation.
Life after death was as clear to the holy apostles as the sun is clear to those who have eyes. Through their prayers, may the Lord open our spiritual eyes also, that we may know whither we walk and what awaits us after death.
O Lord Jesus, most merciful, lead us out of darkness into light, by Thy grace and by the prayers of Thy holy apostles. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Life after death was as clear to the holy apostles as the sun is clear to those who have eyes.”