November: Day 6: Venerable Barlaam of Khutyn

November: Day 6:
Venerable Barlaam of Khutyn

(Lessons From His Life:
a. We Must Love Our Neighbors and
b. Live As If We Are Preparing To Die Every Day)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Barlaam of Khutyn, celebrated today, was descended from wealthy Novgorodians. Even in his youth he felt drawn to the monastic life, avoided children's games, fasted and prayed a lot. His parents wanted to keep him from such a life. But he said to them: "I have read many holy books, and nowhere have I found that parents would advise against anything good for their children. Is not the Kingdom of Heaven, which I seek, more precious than all else?" Then his parents gave him complete freedom and soon they died. After this, Venerable Barlaam gave away almost all his property and went into the desert; then, for greater solitude, he settled in the forest, on the banks of the Volkhov, 10 versts from Novgorod, on a hill called Khutyn. The Saint's solitude did not last long: soon princes, boyars, monks and commoners learned of him and began to come to him for conversation, and he gave everyone the necessary instructions; and many wished to lead a life under his guidance and settled around him. Then a temple was built and cells around it. A monastery appeared. The Saint gave the rest of his property for the benefit of the monastery. He gave the monastery its charter. The charter prescribed to distribute alms to the poor, to feed and quench the thirst of all travelers, and in general to have Christian love for them.

November: Day 5: Teaching 2: Holy Apostle Hermas

November: Day 5: Teaching 2:
Holy Apostle Hermas
 
(The Vision of Saint Hermas of the Church in the Form of a Tower Under Construction and Moral Lessons From This for Believers)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Hermas, whose memory is celebrated today, lived in Rome during the time of the apostles. He was known to the Apostle Paul and is praised by him in his Epistle to the Romans (16:14) as one of the best Christians of Rome. The distinguishing qualities of his soul were the most sincere simplicity of faith and unquestioning submission to the suggestions of God. These qualities of the heart attracted God's special favor to him, and the Lord honored him with special visions and revelations, of which his whole life is composed. Since these wonderful signs of God, edifying in themselves, were accompanied by edifying interpretations, Hermas received the order to write down everything that was revealed to him, for the benefit of the entire Holy Church of God. Hermas fulfilled the order and compiled a book he called "The Shepherd", which, in the early days, was read in the churches along with the apostolic writings.

November: Day 5: Teaching 1: Saint Jonah, Archbishop of Novgorod

November: Day 5: Teaching 1:
Saint Jonah, Archbishop of Novgorod
 
(On the Path to Salvation)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Jonah, Archbishop of Novgorod, whose memory is celebrated today, known in the world as John, was born in Novgorod in the fourteenth century, and, left an orphan from childhood, was given over to a deacon to be educated. He loved to read the Holy Scriptures more than to play with his childhood friends. One day, a holy fool, Michael of Klopsk, passed by a crowd of boys, among whom was John. The boys pulled his clothes and threw dirt at him; but John took no part in this. Then the holy fool took him in his arms and said: "Study diligently, John. You will be Archbishop of Novgorod." The prediction came true. Having reached the age of maturity, John decided to enter upon the path of salvation, along which he steadfastly followed all his life. Soon he took monastic vows, under the name of Jonah, in the Otensky Monastery, 40 versts from Novgorod, and after the death of Abbot Chariton, he was elected abbot. And when the Novgorod Archbishop Euthymios died, Jonah, renowned for his piety, was elected his successor. Having become the shepherd of Novgorod, Jonah zealously served for the good of the Church, gave everyone equal and fair justice, defended the weak and helped the poor. Saint Jonah ruled the Novgorod flock for 30 years and left behind a good memory. Jonah died in old age, in 1470, and was buried in the Otensky Monastery, in the Church of Saint John the Baptist. His body was subsequently glorified by incorruptibility.

November: Day 4: Venerable Ioannikios the Great

 

November: Day 4:
Venerable Ioannikios the Great

(The Sin of Envy)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Ioannikios, whose memory is celebrated today, lived in the second half of the 9th century A.D. and spent his early years in the royal service in a military rank. He was at first infected with the Iconoclast heresy, but, exposed by a clairvoyant monk who lived on Mount Olympus, he abandoned the heresy and all the vanity of the world, withdrew to this mountain, and here, through unremitting struggle with his passions, tireless labors, vigilance, and prayer, he attained holiness and became famous as a great ascetic and miracle worker. Many people came to the holy ascetic for edification and to ask him for his holy prayers and intercession before God; many spiritual bounties and blessings were poured out from the Saint. At the very beginning of his asceticism, having met two desert monks, the Venerable Ioannikios received from them, together with a prayerful blessing for the feat, a prophetic warning that towards the end of his life he would be tempted by envious people. This actually happened. On the same Olympus mountain, another ascetic by the name of Epiphanios was engaged in monastic exploits. Hearing about the growing glory of the Venerable Ioannikios, Epiphanios envied him and plotted to destroy him. Once, during a drought, when all the vegetation on the mountain had dried up and there were many dry trees around Ioannikios’ cell, Epiphanios set fire to the dry grass at the bottom of the mountain and the entire mountain quickly burst into flames. The Venerable Ioannikios owed his salvation to God alone: not only did he himself not suffer, but his cell miraculously remained unharmed amidst the flames. The meek and gentle Ioannikios, wanting to know the reason for Epiphanios' anger and to ask his forgiveness if he had sinned against him in any way, went to his ill-wisher. What power of malice is generated by envy! Seeing the Venerable Ioannikios, Epiphanios struck him with his staff, which had a sharp tip, wanting to kill him, but again he was put to shame by God, who saves the righteous from the malice of evil people.

November: Day 3: Holy Martyrs Akepsimas the Bishop, Joseph the Presbyter and Aethalas the Deacon

November: Day 3:
Holy Martyrs Akepsimas the Bishop, Joseph the Presbyter and Aethalas the Deacon

(Types of Violations of the Sixth Commandment of God's Law Which Prohibits Murder)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyrs Akepsimas the Bishop, Joseph the Presbyter and Aethalas the Deacon, whose memory is celebrated today, suffered in the 4th century in the Persian Empire. When King Shapur began a persecution of Christians, the pagan priests first of all sought out bishops and presbyters. When Akepsimas, an 80-year-old elder, was brought before the governor, he said to the Saint:

“I have heard that you are considered the wisest among Christians, but meanwhile you are not at all smarter than senseless children, because you do not worship the sun and fire, which the king himself worships.”

“Your king and you together with him have gone mad, worshiping a creature instead of God,” answered the Saint.

The governor ordered that he be beaten with iron rods.