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The Holy Apostle James, Son of Zebedee
Commemorated on April 30
The Holy Apostle James, Son of Zebedee, one of the 12 Apostles, was called by our Lord Jesus Christ for apostolic service together with his brother, the Apostle John the Theologian. It was to them and to the holy Apostle Peter pre-eminently over the other Apostles that Jesus Christ revealed His Divine Mysteries: at the Resuscitation of the Daughter of Jairus, on Mount Tabor (at the Transfiguration), and in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Saint James, after the Descent of the Holy Spirit, preached in Spain and in other lands, and then he returned to Jerusalem. He openly and boldly taught about Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world, and with the words of Holy Scripture he denounced the Pharisees and the Scribes [scholars], reproaching them with malice of heart and unbelief. The Jews had not the ability to refute the apostolic discourse and for money they hired the pseudo-philosopher and sorcerer Hermogenes, so that he would enter into a disputation with the apostle and confute his arguments about Christ as the Promised Messiah having come into the world. The sorcerer sent to the apostle his student Philip, who was converted to belief in Christ. Then Hermogenes himself became persuaded of the power of God, he burnt his books on magic, accepted holy Baptism and became a true follower of Christ.
The unbelieving among the Jews persuaded Herod Agrippa (40-44) to arrest the Apostle James and sentence him to death. Saint James calmly heard out the death sentence and continued to bear witness about Christ. One of the false-witnesses against the apostle by the name of Josiah was struck by the courage of Saint James. He came to believe in the truth of the words about the coming of Christ the Messiah. When they led forth the apostle for execution, Josiah fell at his feet, repenting his sin and asking forgiveness. The apostle hugged him, gave him a kiss and said: "Peace and forgiveness be unto thee". Then Josiah confessed before everyone his faith in Christ, and he was beheaded together with Saint James in the year 44 at Jerusalem.
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The Monk Paphnutii of Borovsk
Commemorated on May 1
The Monk Paphnutii of Borovsk was born in 1394 in the village of Kudinovo, not far from Borovsk, and at Baptism he was named Parphenii. His father Ioann was the son of a baptised Tatar, a "baskak" ("tax-collector") named Martin, and his mother was named Photinia. At 20 years of age Parphenii left his parental home and in the year 1414 accepted monastic tonsure with the name Paphnutii at the Pokrov-Protection Monastery on the Heights, under its head, Markell (i.e. Marcellus). The Monk Paphnutii asceticised for many years at the monastery. When the head of the monastery died, the brethren chose him as hegumen. Sainted Photii, Metropolitan of Kiev, ordained him to the priestly dignity (in about the year 1426). The monk spent thirty years at the Pokrov monastery, wherein he was both the head and the clergy-starets (elder). At 51 years of age he fell grievously ill, gave up being the hegumen and took on the great-schema. After a restoration to health on the day of the holy GreatMartyr George the Victory-Bearer, 23 April 1444, he withdrew from the monastery and settled with one monk on the left bank of the River Protva, at the confluence into it of the River Ister'ma. Soon brethren began to gather to him at this new place. The number of the monks grew quickly. A new stone church was built in place of the former wooden one, in honour of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. In the icon-frescoes there took part the finest iconographer of those times, – Dionysii and his assistants. The Monk Paphnutii gave example to the brethren, leading a strict life: his cell was the poorest of all, and from food he took the worst. On Mondays and Fridays he did not eat at all, and on Wednesdays he partook only of dry foods. From the overall tasks the monk chose the most difficult: he chopped and carried fire-wood, dug up and cultivated the garden, and at the same time arrived first for church services.
The Monk Paphnutii earned the deep respect and love not only of the brethren of his own monastery, but also of other monasteries. Through the Providence of God there was guided to the monastery to the monk a twenty year old youth, – Ioann Sanin. Having put him to the test, the monk tonsured him into monasticism with the name Joseph. Later on the Monk Joseph of Volotsk firmly defended the purity of the Orthodox faith and entered into struggle against the heresy of the Judaisers, condemned at a Council of 1504. The Monk Paphnutii blessed the young man in his exploits.
A week before his death the monk foretold his end. Having made a final prayer and blessing of the brethren, he expired to God on 1 May 1477. The Monk Paphnutii was a follower of the Monk Sergei, Hegumen of Radonezh.
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Sainted Athanasias the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria
Commemorated on May 2, January 18
Sainted Athanasias the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria, was a great father of the Church and a pillar of Orthodoxy. He was born in about the year 297 in the city of Alexandria into a family of pious Christians. He received a fine secular education, but still more he acquired profound knowledge by diligent study of the Holy Scripture. From his childhood years the future great hierarch Athanasias became known to the Alexandrian Patriarch, Saint Alexander (Comm. 29 May), through the following circumstances. One time a group of children, among whom was the lad Athanasias, was playing at the shore of the sea. The Christian children decided to baptise their pagan playmates. The lad Athanasias, whom the children chose as "bishop", performed the baptism, precisely repeating the words, heard by him in church during this sacrament. Patriarch Alexander observed all this from a window. He then commanded that there be brought him the children and their parents, and having conversed with them for a long while, and having attested that the baptism performed by the children at play was in everything in accord with the Church ustav (rule), he acknowledged the Baptism as real and supplemented it with the sacrament of Chrismation. From this moment the Patriarch looked after the spiritual upbringing of the youth Athanasias and in time brought him into the clergy, at first as a reader, and then he ordained him to the dignity of deacon.
It was in this dignity of deacon that Saint Athanasias accompanied Patriarch Alexander in the year 325 to the First OEcumenical Council at Nicea. At the Council, Saint Athanasias stepped forth with a refutation of the heresy of Arius. This speech met with the approval of the Orthodox fathers of the Council, but the Arians – those openly so and those concealed – came to hate Athanasias and subjected him to persecutions for all the rest of his life.
After the death of holy Patriarch Alexander, Saint Athanasias was unanimously chosen his successor to the Alexandria cathedra-seat. He long refused, accounting himself unworthy, but at the insistence of all the Orthodox populace that it was in agreement, at age 28 he was ordained to the dignity of bishop and put at the head of the Alexandrian Church. For 47 years Saint Athanasias guided the Church, and during this time he suffered much persecution and grief from his antagonists. Several times he was expelled from Alexandria and hid himself from the Arians in desolate places, since they repeatedly tried to kill him. Saint Athanasias spent more than 20 years in his exiles, and returned then to his flock, and then again was subjected to banishment. There was a moment in time when he remained as the only Orthodox bishop, a moment when all the other bishops had deviated into heresy. At the false-councils of Arian bishops he was declared deprived of the bishop's dignity. Despite the persecution of many years, the saint continued firmly to defend the purity of the Orthodox faith, and he wrote incessantly both missives and tracts against the Arian heresy. When Julian the Apostate (361-363) began a persecution against Christians, his wrath then first fell upon Saint Athanasias, whom he considered the great pillar of Orthodoxy. Julian intended to kill the saint so as to strike Christianity a grievous blow, but he himself soon perished infamously. Mortally wounded by an arrow during the time of a battle, he cried out with despair: "Thou art victorious, Galilean". After the death of Julian, Saint Athanasias guided the Alexandrian Church for seven years and died in 373, at age 76.
Numerous works of Saint Athanasias have been preserved: four "Orations", directed against the Arian heresy; likewise an Epistle to Epictetos, bishop of the Church of Corinth, about the Divine and Human natures in Jesus Christ; four Epistles to Serapion, bishop of Thmuis, about the Divine Holy Spirit and Its Equality with the Father and the Son – directed against the heresy of Macedonias. There have been preserved also other works of apologetical character in defence of Orthodoxy, among which is the Letter to the emperor Constantius. Commentaries of Saint Athanasias on Holy Scripture are known of, and also books of a moral didactic character, as well as a detailed biography of the Monk Anthony the Great (Comm. 17 January), with whom Saint Athanasias was very close. Saint John Chrysostom advised every Orthodox Christian to read this life. The memory of Sainted Athanasias is celebrated also on 18 January conjointly with the memory of Sainted Cyril of Alexandria.
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The Monk Theodosii (Feodosii) of Pechersk
Commemorated on May 3, August 14 and 28, September 2
The Monk Theodosii (Feodosii) of Pechersk, was the initiator of a life-in-common ustav (rule) and a father of monasticism in the Russian land. He was born at Vasilevo, not far from Kiev. From his youthful years he felt an irresistible attraction for the ascetic life, and led an ascetic lifestyle while still in his parental home. He disdained childish games and attractions, and constantly went to church. He himself asked his parents to let him go to study reading of the holy books, and through his evident abilities and rare zeal, he quickly learned the reading of the books, such that everyone was amazed at the intellect of the lad. At 14 years of age he lost his father and remained under the supervision of his mother – a woman strict and domineering, but very much loving her son. She many a time chastised her son for his yearning after asceticism, but he remained firmly committed to his path. At 24 years of age he secretly left his parental home and took monastic vows, with the blessing of the Monk Antonii (Anthony), at the Kievo‑Pechersk monastery with the name Theodosii. After four years his mother found him and with tears besought him to return home, but the saint himself persuaded her to remain in Kiev and accept monasticism in the monastery of Saint Nicholas at the Askol'd cemetery.
The Monk Theodosii toiled at the monastery more than others and not seldom he took upon himself part of the work of the other brethren: he carried water, chopped wood, ground up the rye-grain and carried the flour to each monk. On cold nights he uncovered his body and let it be food for gnats and mosquitoes, the blood flowed on him, but the saint patiently occupied himself with handicrafts and sang psalms. In church he appeared before others and, standing at a place, he did not leave it until the finish of Divine-services; the readings he listened to with particular attention.
In 1054 the Monk Theodosii was ordained to the dignity of priest-monk, and in 1057 he was chosen hegumen. The fame of his deeds attracted a number of monks to the monastery, at which he built a new church and cells, and he introduced the Studite common-life monastic-rule (ustav), a copy of which was made by his commissioning at Constantinople. In the dignity of hegumen the Monk Theodosii continued to fulfill very difficult duties at the monastery. The monk usually partook of only dry bread and cooked greens without oil. The nights passed for him without sleep in prayer, such that the brethren often took notice of this, although the chosen one of God also tried to conceal his efforts from others. No one was to see when the Monk Theodosii dozed lightly, and usually he rested sitting. During the period of Great Lent the saint withdrew into a cave situated not far from the monastery, where he asceticised with no one seeing. His attire was a coarse hair-shirt worn straight over his body, such that in this old man looking like a beggar it was impossible to recognise the reknown hegumen, deeply respected by all that knew him.
One time the Monk Theodosii was returning from GreatPrince Izyaslav. The coachman, not recognising whom he was, said gruffly: :Thou, monk, art always on holiday, but I constantly am at work. Get up on my place, and let me ride in the carriage". The holy elder meekly complied and drove the servant. Seeing how boyar nobles along the way bowed to the monk driving the horses, the servant took fright, but the holy ascetic calmed him, and upon their arrival gave him a meal at the monastery. Trusting on the help of God, the monk did not keep a large supply of food at the monastery, and therefore the brethren were in want of their daily bread. Through his prayers, however, unknown benefactors appeared at the monastery and furnished the necessities for the brethren. The great princes, and especially Izyaslav, loved to listen to the spiritual discourse of the Monk Theodosii. The saint was not afraid to denounce the mighty ones of this world. The unjustly condemned always found in him a defender, and judges would review matters at the request of the hegumen revered by all. The monk was particularly concerned about the destitute: he built for them at the monastery a special courtyard where anyone in need could receive food and drink. Having sensed beforehand his own end, the Monk Theodosii peacefully expired to the Lord in the year 1074. He was buried in a cave dug out by him, into which he secluded himself during lenten periods. The relics of the ascetic were found uncorrupt in the year 1091. The Monk Theodosii was enumerated to the ranks of the saints in 1108. From the written works of the Monk Theodosii there have survived to our time: 6 discourses, 2 missives to GreatPrince Izyaslav, and a prayer for all Christians. The Vita (Life) of the Monk Theodosii was compiled by the Monk Nestor the Chronicler, a student of the great abba, a mere 30 years after his repose, and it was always one of the favourite readings of the Russian nation. An account about the Monk Theodosii also is located under 28 September.
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The Holy Virgin Pelagia
Commemorated on May 4
The Holy Virgin Pelagia lived during the III Century in the city of Tarsis in the Cilician district of Asia Minor. She was the daughter of illustrious pagans and when she heard preaching from her Christian acquaintances about Jesus Christ the Son of God, she believed in Him and desired to preserve her chastity, dedicating her whole life to the Lord. The heir of emperor Diocletian (a youth adopted by him), having seen the maiden Pelagia, was captivated by her beauty and wanted to take her to be his wife. But the holy virgin told the youth, that she was betrothed to the Immortal Bridegroom, – the Son of God, and therefore she had renounced earthly marriage. This answer of Pelagia caused great anger in the imperial youth, but he decided to leave her in peace for awhile, hoping, that she would change her frame of mind. This same while Pelagia convinced her mother to send her off to her nurse who had raised her in childhood – secretly hoping to locate the bishop of Tarsis Klinon, who had fled to a mountain during a time of persecution against Christians, and to accept Holy Baptism from him. In a dream vision there appeared the form of the bishop – Klinon, profoundly impressing itself upon her memory. Saint Pelagia set off to her nurse in a chariot, in rich clothes and accompanied by a whole retinue of servants, as her mother had desired her to. Along the way Saint Pelagia, through some particular ordering of events by God, met bishop Klinon. Pelagia immediately recognised the bishop, whose image had appeared to her in the dream. She fell at his feet, requesting baptism. At the prayer of the bishop there flowed from the ground a spring of water. Bishop Klinon made the sign of the cross over Saint Pelagia, and during the time of the mystery (sacrament) Angels appeared and covered the chosen one of God with a bright mantle. Having communed the pious virgin with the Holy Mysteries, bishop Klinon raised himself up in prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord together with her, and then sent her off to continue her journey. Having returned to the servants awaiting her, Saint Pelagia preached to them about Christ, and many of them were converted and believed. She tried to convert her own mother to faith in Christ, but the obdurate woman sent a message to the imperial youth, – that Pelagia was a Christian and did not wish to be his spouse. The youth comprehended that Pelagia was lost for him, and not wishing to give her over to torture, he fell upon his sword. Pelagia's mother thereupon became fearful of the wrath of the emperor, tied her daughter and led her to the court of Diocletian as being a Christian and also the probable cause of the death of the heir to the throne. The emperor was captivated by the unusual beauty of the maiden and tried to sway her from her faith in Christ, promising her every earthly blessing and to make her his own wife. But the holy maiden refused the offer of the emperor with contempt and said: "Thou art insane, emperor, telling me such a speech. Know, that I wilt not do thine bidding, and I loathe thy vile marriage, since I have a Bridegroom – Christ, the King of Heaven. I desire not thy imperial, worldly, short-durationed crowns, since my Lord in the Heavenly Kingdom has prepared for me three imperishable crowns. The first for faith – since I have believed with all my heart in the True God; the second for purity – because I have entrusted to Him my virginity; the third for martyrdom – since I want to accept for Him every suffering and to offer up my soul because of my love for Him". Diocletian thereupon sentenced Pelagia to be burnt in a glowing red-hot copper oven. Not permitting the executioners to touch her body, the holy martyress herself – signing herself with the sign of the cross, went with a prayer into the red-hot oven – in which her flesh melted like myrh, filling all the city with fragrance; the bones of Saint Pelagia remained unharmed and were removed by the pagans to outside the city. Four lions then came from out of the wilderness and sat around the bones – letting get at them neither bird nor wild beast. The lions protected the remains of the saint until such time as bishop Klinon came to that place. He gathered them up and buried them with honour. During the reign of emperor Constantine (306-337), when the persecutions against Christians had stopped, there was built a church at the place of burial of Saint Pelagia.
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The Holy Great-Martyress Irene
Commemorated on May 5
The Holy Great-Martyress Irene lived during the I Century and until baptism had the name Penelope. She was daughter of the pagan Licinius, governor of the city of Migdonia (in Macedonia, or Thrace). Licinius built for his daughter a separate splendid palace, where she lived with her governess Karia, surrounded by her peers and her servants. Daily there came to Penelope a tutor by the name of Apelian, who taught her the sciences. Apelian was a Christian, and during the time of study he told the maiden about Christ the Saviour and taught her the Christian teaching and the Christian virtues.
When Penelope became an adolescent, her parents began to think about her marriage. During this period of her life the Lord instructed her in a miraculous manner: to her at the window there flew one after the other of three birds – a dove with an olive twig, an eagle with a garland, and a raven with a snake. Penelope's teacher Apelian explained to her the meaning of these signs: the Dove, symbolising the virtues of the maiden, – humility, meekness and chasteness, – bearing an olive twig, – the grace of God received in Baptism; the Eagle, – symbol of sublimity of spirit, attained through meditation upon God, – bearing a garland for victory over the invisible enemy as a reward from the Lord. The Raven, however, bearing the snake was a sign that the devil would rise up against her and would cause her grief, sorrow and persecution. At the end of the conversation Apelian said, that the Lord wished to betroth her to Himself and that Penelope would undergo much suffering for her Heavenly Bridegroom. After this Penelope refused marriage, accepted Baptism from the hands of the Disciple Timothy, – who was a disciple of the holy Apostle Paul, and she was named Irene. She began even to urge her own parents to accept the Christian faith. The mother was pleased with the conversion of her daughter to Christ; the father at first did not hinder his daughter, but then he began to demand of her the worship to the pagan gods. When however Saint Irene firmly and decisively refused, the enraged Licinius then gave orders to tie up his daughter and throw her beneathe the hooves of frenzied horses. The horses remained motionless. But one of them got loose from its harness, threw itself at Licinius, seized him by the right hand and tore it from his arm, then knocked Licinius down and began to trample him. They then untied the holy maiden, and through her prayer Licinius in the presence of eye‑witnesses rose up unharmed, with his hand intact. Seeing such a miracle, Licinius with his wife and many of the people, in number about 3000 men, believed in Christ and refrained from the pagan gods. Resigning the governance of the city, Licinius settled into the palace of his daughter, intending to devote himself to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Irene however began to preach the teaching of Christ among the pagans and she converted them to the path of salvation. She lived in the house of her teacher Apelian.
Having learned of this, Sedecius, – the new governor of the city, summoned Apelian and questioned him about the manner of life of Irene. Apelian answered that Irene, just like other Christians, lived in strict temperance, in constant prayer and reading of holy books. Sedecius summoned the saint to him and began to urge her to cease preaching about Christ and to offer sacrifice to the gods. Saint Irene staunchly confessed her faith before the governor, not fearing his wrath, and prepared to undergo suffering for Christ. By order of Sedecius she was thrown into a pit, filled with vipers and serpents. The saint spent 10 days in the pit and remained unharmed, since an Angel of the Lord protected her and brought her food. Sedecius ascribed this miracle to sorcery and he subjected the saint to a cruel torture: he gave orders to saw her with an iron saw. But the saws broke one after the other and caused no harm to the body of the holy virgin. Finally, a fourth saw reddened the body of the holy martyress with blood. Sedecius with derision said to the martyress: "Where then is thy God? If He be powerful, let Him help thee!" Suddenly a whirlwind shot up, gave forth a blinding lightning-flash, striking down many of the torturers, thunder crashed, and a strong rain poured down. Beholding such a sign from Heaven, many believed in Christ the Saviour. Sedecius did not understand the obvious display of the power of God and he subjected the saint to new torments, but the Lord preserved her unharmed. Finally the people rebelled having to look upon the sufferings of the innocent virgin, and they rose up against Sedecius and expelled him from the city.
Having replaced Sedecius as governor, they still subjected Saint Irene to various cruel torments, during which while by the power of God she continued to remain unharmed, and the people under the influence of her preaching and accomplishing of miracles all the more in number were converted to Christ, having turned away from the worship of soul-less idols. Over 10,000 pagans were converted by Saint Irene.
The saint went from her native city Migdonia to Kallipolis, and there she continued to preach about Christ. The governor of the city by the name of Babadonos subjected the martyress to new punishments, but seeing that the saint remained unharmed, he came to his senses and believed in Christ. A large number of pagans believed together with him, all whom received holy Baptism from the Disciple Timothy.
After this Saint Irene settled in other cities of Thrace – Konstantinos and then Mesembros, preaching about Christ and working miracles, healing the sick and undergoing suffering for Christ.
In the city of Ephesus the Lord revealed to her, that the time of her end was approaching. Then Saint Irene in the company of her teacher the elder Apelian and other Christians went out from the city to an hilly cave and, having signed herself with the sign of the cross, she went into it, having directed her companions to close the entrance to the cave with a large stone, which they did. Four days after this, when Christians visited the cave, they did not find the body of the saint in it. Thus reposed the holy Great-Martyress Irene.
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The Holy Martyr Barbaros
Commemorated on May 6
The Holy Martyr Barbaros, formerly a brigand, lived in Greece and for a long time he committed robberies, extortions and murders. But the Lord, not desiring the death of a sinner, turned him also to repentance. One time, when Barbaros was sitting in a cave and gazing upon the multitude of his stolen possessions, the grace of God touched his heart. He thought about the inevitability of death, and about the Dread Last Judgement to come. Pondering over the multitude of his wicked deeds, he was distressed in his heart and he decided to make a start with his repentance, saying: "The Lord did not despise the prayer of the robber hanging alongside Him, and grant that He spare me through His ineffable mercy". Barbaros left behind in the cave all his treasures and he went to the nearest church. He did not hide his wicked deeds from the priest and he asked to be accepted for repentance. The priest gave him a place in his own home, and Saint Barbaros followed after him, going about on his hands and knees like a four-legged animal, since he considered himself unworthy to be called a man. In the household of the priest he settled himself in amongst the cattle, eating with the animals and considering himself more wicked than any creature. Having received from the priest absolution from his sins, Barbaros went off into the woods and lived there for 12 years bare and without clothing, suffering the cold and heat, and his body became dirty and blackened all over. Finally, Saint Barbaros received news from on high, that his sins were forgiven and that he would die a martyr's death. At the place where Saint Barbaros asceticised one time there came merchants. In the deep grass before them something was moving. Thinking that this was an animal, they let loose several arrows from their bows. Coming closer, they were terrified seeing that they had mortally wounded a man. But Saint Barbaros besought them not to sorrow, he told them about himself, and he asked that they relate what had happened to the priest, at the house of whom he earlier had lived. After this, Saint Barbaros yielded up his spirit to God. The priest, who had accepted the repentance of the former robber, located his body, shining with an Heavenly light. The priest gave burial to the body of Saint Barbaros at the spot where he was killed. Afterwards from the grave of the saint there began to issue forth a curative myrh, which did heal various maladies. His relics are located at the monastery of Kellios in Thessaly, near the city of Larissa.
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The Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God
Commemorated on May 7
The Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God manifest itself in the year 1470 in the vicinity of Zhirovitsa on the Grodnensk frontier. In the forest, belonging to the Orthodox Lithuanian dignitary Alexander Solton, shepherds beheld an extraordinarily bright light, peering through the branches of a pear tree, standing over a brook at the foot of an hill. The shepherds approached closer and beheld on the tree a not-large icon of the Mother of God shining radiantly. The shepherds with reverence took hold the icon and conveyed it to Alexander Solton. Alexander Solton did not pay any special attention to the report of the shepherds, but he nonetheless took the icon and shut it away in a chest. On the following day Solton had guests, and he wanted to show them what had been found. To his amazement, he did not find the icon in the chest, although shortly before this he had seen it. After a certain while the shepherds again found the icon in the same place and again they brought it to Alexander Solton. This time however he received the icon with great reverence and gave a vow to build at the place of its discovery a church in honour of the Most Holy Mother of God. Around the wooden church soon gathered a settlement and a parish was formed. In about the year 1520 the church was completely burned, despite the efforts of the inhabitants to extinguish the blaze and save the icon. Everyone thought, that the icon had perished. But one time peasant children, returning from school, beheld a miraculous vision: the Virgin extraordinarily beautiful in resplendid radiance sat upon a stone at the burned church, and in Her hands was the icon, which everyone reckoned had been burnt. The children did not dare approach Her, but they hastened to tell about the vision to their kinsfolk and acquaintances. Everyone accepted the story about the vision as a Divine revelation and together with the priest they set off to the hill. On a stone with a burning candle stood the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God, totally unharmed by the fire. For awhile they placed the icon in the house of the priest, and the stone was fenced in. When they built a stone church, they placed the wonderworking icon there. A men's monastery later grew up around the church. Its brethren headed the struggle for Orthodoxy against the Unia and Latinism. In 1609 the monastery was seized by the Uniates and remained in their hands until the year 1839. During this time the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God was venerated by both Uniates and Catholics. In 1839 the monastery was returned to the Orthodox and became the first locale of the restoration of Orthodox Divine-services on the West-Russian frontier. During the time of the First World War, they conveyed the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God to Moscow, and at the beginning of the decade of the 1920's it was returned to the monastery. At present it is located in the cathedral in honour of the Uspenie (Dormition) of the Most Holy Mother of God of the Zhirovitsk monastery, Minsk diocese, and it is deeply reverenced for its graced help. The icon was carved in stone having the dimensions of 43x56 cm.
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The Monk Arsenius the Great
Commemorated on May 8
The Monk Arsenius the Great was born in the year 354 at Rome into a pious Christian family, which provided him a fine education and upbringing. Having studied the secular sciences and mastered to perfection the Latin and Greek languages, the Monk Arsenius acquired profound knowledge, combined with a pious and virtuous life. His deep faith impelled the youth to leave his preoccupation with the sciences and choose service to God. When he entered into the ranks of the clergy at one of the Roman churches, he was then elevated to the dignity of deacon.
The emperor Theodosius (379-395), ruling the Eastern half of the Roman empire, heard about his erudition and piety, and he entrusted to Arsenius the education of his sons Arcadius and Honorius. Against his will, in obedience however to the command of the Roman pope Dymas, the Monk Arsenius was compelled to withdraw from service at the holy altar, at which time he was 29 years old.
Having arrived at Constantinople, Arsenius was received with great honour by the emperor Theodosius, who gave him charge to educate the imperial sons not only as regards wisdom, but also piety, guarding them from the passions of youth. "Though also they be imperial sons, – said Theodosius, – yet must they be obedient unto thee in everything, as to their father and teacher".
With fervour the monk concerned himself with the education of the youths, but the high esteem with which he was surrounded troubled his spirit, which yearned for service to God and the quietude of monastic life. In fervent prayer the monk besought the Lord to show him the way to salvation. The Lord hearkened to his prayer and one time he heard a voice, telling him: "Arsenius, flee people and be saved". And then, removing his rich clothing and replacing it by that of a wanderer, he secretly left the court, got upon a ship and sailed off to Alexandria, from whence he quickly hastened to a skete monastery. Arriving at the church, he besought the presbyter to accept him into the monks, calling himself a wretched wanderer, though his very manner betrayed him as not a simple but rather cultivated man. The brethren led him off to the Monk Abba John Koloves (Comm. 9 November), famed for his holiness of life. That one, wishing to test the humility of the newcomer, during the time of the refectory meal did not seat Arsenius amongst the monks, but rather threw him sugar, saying: "Eat if thou dost wish". With great humility Saint Arsenius fell to his knees, came up to the sugar laying there and did eat, having gone off into a corner. Seeing this, Starets-elder John said: "He will be a great ascetic!" Then accepting Arsenius with love, he tonsured the beginning ascetic into monasticism.
The Monk Arsenius with zeal passed through his obediences and soon he surpassed many of the wilderness fathers in asceticism. One time at prayer the monk again heard the Voice: "Arsenius, flee people and dwell in silence – this is the root of sinlessness". – From that moment the Monk Arsenius settled outside the Skete, in a solitary cell, and having taken on the exploit of silence he seldom left from his seclusion, arriving in church only on Sundays and feastdays, and in observing complete silence he conversed with no one. To the question of one monk, why he so hid himself from people, the ascetic answered: "God sees, that I love all, but I am not able to be simultaneously with God and with people. The Heavenly Powers all have one will and unanimously do they praise God, upon the earth however each man has his own will and thoughts of various people. I am not able, to forsake God and live with people".
Dwelling in constant prayer, the monk however did not refuse arriving monks counsel and guidance, giving short, but perceptive answers to their questions. One time a monk from the Skete coming to the great elder saw him through a windowlet standing at prayer, surrounded by a flame. The handcraft of the Monk Arsenius was woven baskets, for which he took the leaves of Phoenician palms from which he plaited baskets, having soaked them in water. For a whole year the Monk Arsenius did not replace the water in a container, from which issued forth a putrid stench. To the question – why thus he did this, the monk answered that by it he would humble himself, since having lived in the world he had been surrounded by fragrant smells, and now instead he would endure the stench, so that after death he should not know the stench of hell.
The fame of the great ascetic spread far, and many wanted to see him – by this they disturbed the quietude of the great ascetic, and as a result the monk was forced to move around from place to place. But those thirsting to receive guidance and blessing still found him.
The Monk Arsenius taught: many take upon themselves great exploits of repentance and vigil, but rare is the one who would guard his soul from jealousy, anger, remembrance of evil, judgement and pride, being in such like adorned graves, filled within by the stench of bones. A certain monk asked the saint what he should do, when he in reading the Psalms did not understand their meaning. The elder answered, that he should continue the reading of the Psalms, since the evil powers flee from us, not able to bear the power of the written Word of God. The monks happened to hear, how the saint often urged himself on in his efforts with the words: "Work, Arsenius, do not loaf around; thou hast come not for rest, but for work". The monk also said: "Many a time repented I about my words, but about my silence – never".
The great ascetic and keeper of silence was bestown the gift of gracious tears, by which his eyes were constantly filled. He spent 55 years at monastic exploits, meriting from his contemporaries the title "the Great", and he died at age 95 in the year 449 or 450.
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
St. Vasily Kolosov
Commemorated on May 9
After graduating from the Ryazan Theological Seminary in 1915, Vasily Alekseevich served as a psalmist at the Vvedensky Church in the Podlesnaya Sloboda village of the Lukhovitsky District of the Moscow Region until 1927, and in 1927 was ordained a priest to this church. The first time of his ministry he often spoke in the church sermon, but soon he was informed that some of his sermons were interpreted as anti-Soviet, and he fell silent. On March 3, 1930, the OGPU Collegium sentenced Father Vasily to five years of imprisonment in a concentration camp for anti-Soviet agitation. In 1934, Father Vasily returned from his detention home and was sent to serve in the Transfiguration Church in the village of Strupna, Zaraisk district, where he served until the beginning of a new persecution of the Church. Father Vasily was arrested on September 27, 1937 and imprisoned in one of the prisons of the Kolomna district. After the interrogation of the priest, false witnesses were summoned who signed the relevant testimony, and on 3 October the investigation was completed. On October 13, 1937, the NKVD troika sentenced Father Vasily to ten years in prison, and he was sent to Bamlag. In 1939, Father Vasily was transferred to a camp in the Sverdlovsk region, which became the place of his last sufferings. Priest Vasily Kolosov died in custody on May 22, 1939 and was buried in an unknown grave.
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
Martyrs killed by the Latins at the Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos
Commemorated on May 13
Georgian monks began to settle on Mt. Athos in the middle of the 10th century, and a Georgian monastery, Iveron, was founded there not long after.
At that time foreign armies were constantly invading Mt. Athos. In the 13th century the Crusaders stormed through the region, and between 1259 and 1306 the pope’s private army devastated Mt. Athos several times. Monks of Zographou and Vatopedi monasteries and the Protaton were martyred for the Orthodox Faith, and the monks of the Iveron Monastery eventually met the same fate.
During this period Georgian and Greek ascetics labored together at the Iveron Monastery, and many young ascetics of the new generation began to arrive from Georgia.
The Crusaders demanded that the Iveron monks convert to Catholicism and acknowledge the primacy of the Roman pope. But the monks condemned their fallacies and anathematized the doctrine of the Catholics.
According to the Patericon of Athos, the Iveron monks were forcibly expelled from their monastery. Nearly two hundred elderly monks were goaded like animals onto a ship that was subsequently sunk in the depths of the sea. The younger, healthier monks were deported to Italy and sold as slaves to the Jews.
Some sources claim this tragedy took place in the year 1259, while others record that the Georgian monks of the Holy Mountain were subject to the Latin persecutions over the course of four years, from 1276 to 1280.
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
Venerable Dodo of the St. David-Gareji Monastery, Georgia
Commemorated on the Wednesday of Holy Ascension
A companion of St. Davit of Gareji, St. Dodo belonged to the royal family Andronikashvili. He was tonsured a monk while still an youth, and was endowed with every virtue.
An admirer of poverty and solitude, he labored as a hermit at Ninotsminda in Kakheti.
Having heard about the miracles of Davit of Gareji, St. Dodo set off for the Gareji Wilderness to witness them himself. The venerable fathers greeted one another warmly and began laboring there together.
After some time, St. Davit became deeply impressed with Dodo’s devotion to the Faith, and he proposed that he take with him some of the other monks and begin to construct cells on the opposite mountain.
The brothers built cells and began to labor there with great ardor. Before long the number of cells had reached two hundred. St. Dodo isolated himself in a narrow crevice, where there was barely room for one man. Day and night, winter and summer, in the heat and the cold, he prayed with penitent tears for the forgiveness of his sins, the strengthening of the souls of his brothers, and the bolstering of the true Faith throughout the country.
Once St. Davit miraculously healed the son of Prince Bubakar of Rustavi. In return, the grateful prince donated food and other necessities to the monks of Gareji Monastery. St. Davit took part of his contributions and sent what remained to St. Dodo. He advised Bubakar to have St. Dodo baptize him, and St. Dodo joyously baptized Bubakar, his sons, and all his suite.
St. Dodo labored to an advanced age in the monastery he had founded and reposed peacefully.
His spiritual sons and companions buried him in the cave where he had labored, and a church was later built over his grave.
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
The Monk Theodore
Commemorated on May 16
The Monk Theodore was called "Sanctified" because he was the first in his monastery ordained to the priesthood.
The Monk Theodore came from Egypt and was the son of rich and illustrious Christian parents. The yearning for monastic life early showed up in him. One time at the house of his parents during the feast of Theophany there was a large party, and the lad did not want to take part in the festivities, grieving that because of earthly joys he would be deprived of joys in the life to come. At 14 years of age he secretly left home and settled in one of the monasteries. Hearing about Pakhomios the Great, he burned with the desire to see the ascetic. The Monk Pakhomios received the arriving lad with love, having been informed by God beforehand about his coming. Remaining at the monastery, the Monk Theodore quickly succeeded in all his monastic tasks, particularly in the full obedience to his guide and in his compassion towards the surrounding brethren. Theodore's mother, learning that he was at the Tabennisa monastery, came to the Monk Pakhomios with a letter from the bishop, imploring a meeting with her son. But the Monk Theodore, fearing to break his vow of renunciation from the world, refused to meet with his mother.
Seeing the strength of mind and ability of Saint Theodore, the Monk Pakhomios once directed him to speak an instruction to the brethren on Holy Scripture. Saint Theodore was then but 20 years old. He unquestioningly obeyed and began to speak, but certain of the older brethren took offence that a newly begun monk should read them a discourse, and they departed. The Monk Pakhomios thereupon said to them: "Ye have given in to the devil and by your conceit your efforts art come to naught. Ye rejected not Theodore, but rather the Word of God, and have deprived yourselves of the Holy Spirit".
Saint Pakhomios appointed the Monk Theodore as overseer of the Tabennisa monastery, and withdrew to a more solitary monastery. Saint Theodore with filial love continued to concern himself over his instructor, and in the final illness of the Monk Pakhomios he looked after him, and when the great abba reposed to the Lord, he closed his eyes. After the death of the Monk Pakhomios, Saint Theodore directed the Tabennisa monastery, and later on he was at the head of all the Thebaid monasteries. The Monk Theodore the Sanctified was famed for holiness of life and a copious gift of wonderworking, and he was well known to Saint Athanasias, Patriarch of Alexandria. Saint Theodore reposed in his old age in the year 368.
DrewJD82
Well-known member
I know I’m a bit behind, but this particular topic has been one of conversation lately with the people I discuss Christianity with.
Note- in the last few months I’ve mainly been focused on debunking myself and all the shit I used to spew about Christianity, which is a lot of tropes you often hear about it. While I haven’t read the Bible cover to cover yet (just got a new NASB last week), I’ve already gotten a few of my friends curiuous as a result of that debunking.
One big one that I feel very, very strongly about is the whole saved aspect and I know different denominations see this differently, with Baptist really pushing for that eternal salvation angle; once you’re saved that’s it, you’re saved forever no matter what you do in life and that particular sentiment/belief is putting a huge target on Christianity, while I believe leading many people to believe they’re perfectly fine continuing on not actually walking in Christ because they’ve already been saved.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Mathew 7:21
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so,every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Mathew 7:15-20
IMO, that’s pretty damn clear to me. I’ve also heard it argued that Jesus only meant this in the way of leaders, saviors, prophets, etc, but again, He very clearly says “EVERY TREE”, not “Some trees….”, not “Most trees”, which means regular ole people just the same.
I recently came across this Jordan Peterson clip that while I don’t totally agree with him, I certainly appreciate the sentiment-
I disagree by way of the Lord knowing we’re broken and it’s literally impossible for a human to bear the same weight Christ did, but I appreciate the sentiment because if you strive for that, you’re not going to fall out of line while also showing reverence for what Christ went through.
One friend I discuss this stuff with takes the “once saved, always saved” approach and actually got quite snappy with me when I pushed back on. My argument was, “You really think God’s just gonna open the gate for ya if you take Jesus in your heart at age 23 and then go and start raping and killing people at age 30? Do you actually have Jesus in your heart if you’re able to rape and kill people?”
“Once you’re saved, you’re saved. He died so I can have abundance and a fruitful life…..”
I believe that exact sentiment is lending a major hand in giving Christianity a bad name right now. While I still haven’t come to my own conclusions about the meaning of the word “Satan”*, if we just use the term anti-Christ in it’s place for now, I’d argue that sentiment is the work of the anti-Christ because it only excuses you to fall away from Him.
*I’m currently more led to believe “Satan” and anti-Christ are interchangeable and meaning anything that brings you away from Christ intentionally, rather than Satan being a singular being with a pitchfork really mad about God kicking him out. My next few years are going to be mostly focused on literal translations and the history around the time things were written, rather than running with the familiar tellings. ‘Hell’ and ‘Satan’ are first on my list.
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
Thanks for posting. I have to agree with you here, it's a big problem. There are many false teachers in the latter days, the latter days beginning in the time of Christ and the apostles. Schismatics and heretics began almost immediately spreading wrong teachings, hence the ecumenical councils being held to root out false teachers and wrong theology. Other people spin those in a negative light, as being the point where Christ's teachings were corrupted, however.....
Nowadays, you don't like what one church teaches, just go find or start one that "feels good" to you....there is no humility there. There is no "hey maybe the apostles and disciples DID pass the truth down, preserve it, and I should seek to subject myself to those teachings". 250+ denominations later....In essence it implies that there is no true church...no true teaching, and suggests that satan has actually won the battle since there is no finding the real answers. A world awash in confusion aka babel/babble. But it's not so.
The church and all that Christ taught is preserved unconquerable forever. Most will reject this premise because it is not what they want to, or are not spiritually ready, to hear: it is preserved in the eastern orthodox church, which is both catholic (meaning universal) and apostolic. It exists pre-denominationally, meaning, there were no denominations prior to it, as it was ONE church with ONE teaching. To this day, we commune from ONE cup. Historically this is confirmed because the oldest christian churches found in the archaeological record are all orthodox.
Please note that this isn't a condemnation or judgement of those outside orthodoxy, but are rather theological and historical facts one must contend with when comparing it to more modern sects and other statements of faiths. Many non-orthodox faiths, the better protestant ones, and much of pre-vatican II roman catholicism, for example, hold theological viewpoints almost identical to those of the orthodox church but omit or deny what orthodoxy includes in smaller ways. Reverence for the mother of Christ or iconography would be two examples.
Satan translates to "accuser" or "adversary" and is different than strictly "anti-christ" as that is anyone or anything that stands in opposition to Christ whether it's an occult object or a person. "There are many antichrists...."1 John 2:18
In eastern orthodoxy (and most of christianity) lucifer is the original name for satan. He was the highest of the angels. He was leader of worship in heaven, all of which is liturgical, meaning it is chanted or sung, as is all orthodox liturgy today. So he is a most skillful musician. His sin that caused him to be cast from heaven is pride, which something at the root of many sins, and something we all must struggle with to some degree, every day. Luke 9:23 "....take up your cross DAILY..." (caps mine) which stands in opposition to "saved" teachings.
The saints I've shared in this thread....the whole point of an ascetic, devoted, monastic life is full time service and endless repentance for one's sins. The stories of their lives are recorded in the synaxarion, for our benefit and spiritual growth. There is no past tense in orthodoxy. There is no "saved". Saved implies nothing further needs be done, and that is very much a satanic lie. If "saved" were true theologically then there is actually no real good reason to even attend church on sunday, or do anything else, because it's already decided. This makes walking away from prayer, fasting, sacraments, a church life, devotion, or any other Godly thing seem logical if one ascribes to that viewpoint, which is part of the reason many people have walked away.
Hopefully I haven't come across too aggressively in my wording but sharing and clarifying is one of the chief spiritual works of mercy, so I am obligated to share it with you, since you brought it up. Here is an interesting video from Father Spyridon which details better what I tried to lay out if you care to view it and I'm always happy to discuss this further with you or others, here or in private. It's a journey and I am glad to see you pursuing the narrow pathway Drew. May we both find it. Blessings.
DrewJD82
Well-known member
Thanks for posting. I have to agree with you here, it's a big problem. There are many false teachers in the latter days, the latter days beginning in the time of Christ and the apostles. Schismatics and heretics began almost immediately spreading wrong teachings, hence the ecumenical councils being held to root out false teachers and wrong theology. Other people spin those in a negative light, as being the point where Christ's teachings were corrupted, however.....
Nowadays, you don't like what one church teaches, just go find or start one that "feels good" to you....there is no humility there. There is no "hey maybe the apostles and disciples DID pass the truth down, preserve it, and I should seek to subject myself to those teachings". 250+ denominations later....In essence it implies that there is no true church...no true teaching, and suggests that satan has actually won the battle since there is no finding the real answers. A world awash in confusion aka babel/babble. But it's not so.
The church and all that Christ taught is preserved unconquerable forever. Most will reject this premise because it is not what they want to, or are not spiritually ready, to hear: it is preserved in the eastern orthodox church, which is both catholic (meaning universal) and apostolic. It exists pre-denominationally, meaning, there were no denominations prior to it, as it was ONE church with ONE teaching. To this day, we commune from ONE cup. Historically this is confirmed because the oldest christian churches found in the archaeological record are all orthodox.
Please note that this isn't a condemnation or judgement of those outside orthodoxy, but are rather theological and historical facts one must contend with when comparing it to more modern sects and other statements of faiths. Many non-orthodox faiths, the better protestant ones, and much of pre-vatican II roman catholicism, for example, hold theological viewpoints almost identical to those of the orthodox church but omit or deny what orthodoxy includes in smaller ways. Reverence for the mother of Christ or iconography would be two examples.
Satan translates to "accuser" or "adversary" and is different than strictly "anti-christ" as that is anyone or anything that stands in opposition to Christ whether it's an occult object or a person. "There are many antichrists...."1 John 2:18
In eastern orthodoxy (and most of christianity) lucifer is the original name for satan. He was the highest of the angels. He was leader of worship in heaven, all of which is liturgical, meaning it is chanted or sung, as is all orthodox liturgy today. So he is a most skillful musician. His sin that caused him to be cast from heaven is pride, which something at the root of many sins, and something we all must struggle with to some degree, every day. Luke 9:23 "....take up your cross DAILY..." (caps mine) which stands in opposition to "saved" teachings.
The saints I've shared in this thread....the whole point of an ascetic, devoted, monastic life is full time service and endless repentance for one's sins. The stories of their lives are recorded in the synaxarion, for our benefit and spiritual growth. There is no past tense in orthodoxy. There is no "saved". Saved implies nothing further needs be done, and that is very much a satanic lie. If "saved" were true theologically then there is actually no real good reason to even attend church on sunday, or do anything else, because it's already decided. This makes walking away from prayer, fasting, sacraments, a church life, devotion, or any other Godly thing seem logical if one ascribes to that viewpoint, which is part of the reason many people have walked away.
Hopefully I haven't come across too aggressively in my wording but sharing and clarifying is one of the chief spiritual works of mercy, so I am obligated to share it with you, since you brought it up. Here is an interesting video from Father Spyridon which details better what I tried to lay out if you care to view it and I'm always happy to discuss this further with you or others, here or in private. It's a journey and I am glad to see you pursuing the narrow pathway Drew. May we both find it. Blessings.
Too funny,
The last thing I wrote in my journal last night was Luke 13:24, narrow it shall be!
I take no offense whatsoever, if anything I'm quite certain the last 43 years went down the way they did to ensure I would 'dig until I find the root', along with a heavy amount of faith that humans will ruin things 100% of the time when left to their own devices, Mark 7:8-13 is a big point of focus.
Not sure if you've come across Wes Huff yet, but his knowledge of the Bible and the history surrounding it is remarkable. I've got a long, long way to go, but eventually I want to have the kind of recall around scripture on the level he does.
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
I haven't come across Wes Huff. To be completely honest I'm firmly planted in orthodoxy now, which is massively challenging in ways that I don't want to get into here because they might not make sense and could be taken out of context by others who might be reading. But you mentioning the "saved" stuff some others had confronted you with....the thought of that being a core to someone's theological understanding is pretty ridiculous to me. It's the antithesis of what is scriptural.
It's really all a journey, and one that no one can really debate another person, or shout at another on the street corner, and cause them to believe. I've learned that. You have to ask, knock, and eventually the door will be opened when the Lord opens it. In my case 20 years of knocking went by and I finally found what I was after. It's deeply affected me, my outlook, my family, and in some ways my ability (and willingness) to assist others so it's been a real blessing but also requires more from me.
Anyways, great to hear things are going well for you there! Hit me up anytime!
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
The Holy Disciple from the 70 Andronicus
Commemorated on May 17
The Holy Disciple from the 70 Andronicus and his helper in apostolic works, Saint Junia (June), were relatives of the holy Apostle Paul. They laboured much, preaching the Gospel to pagans, about which the Apostle Paul makes mention in his Epistle to the Romans: "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsfolk and prisoners with me, acknowledged amongst the Apostles and having still before me believed in Christ" (Rom. 16: 7). Saint Andronicus was ordained bishop of Pannonia, but the preaching took Saint Junia and him also to other lands, far from the boundaries of his diocese. By the efforts of Saints Andronicus and Junia the Church of Christ was strengthened, pagans were converted to the knowledge of God, many pagan temples ceased functioning, and in their place were erected Christian churches. From the service in honour of these saints it is known, that they suffered martyrdom for the Name of Christ.
In the V Century, during the reign of the emperors Arcadius and Honorius, their holy relics were uncovered on the outskirts of Constantinople together with the relics of other martyrs "at the Eugenius gate" (Comm. 22 February).
It was revealed to the pious cleric Nicholas Kalligraphos that among these 17 martyrs were also the relics of the holy Disciple Andronicus. Afterwards on this spot was built a magnificent church.