May: Day 8: Teaching 1: Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

May: Day 8: Teaching 1:
Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
 
(Christian Love is the Most Reliable Means to the Knowledge of God and the True Beginning of the Activity of a Christian)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. In honor of the individuals for whom celebrations are organized on designated days, it is customary to deliver encomiums that highlight their distinctive qualities, virtues, valor, and merits. What shall we say today in praise of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, the beloved disciple and companion of Christ? Whatever eloquent and fruitful words one might express in commendation of his sacred and lofty qualities and actions, they will prove insufficient: "Who can recount your greatness, O virgin?" However, the inhabitants of heaven do not require human praise; what pleases them most is our adoption of the spirit and character by which they lived during their earthly existence. From our side, the best gift of gratitude to the Holy Apostle John the Theologian and the greatest expression of pious reverence towards him will be the assimilation of his spirit and his teachings.

May: Day 7: Teaching 2: Holy Martyr Akakios the Centurion

May: Day 7: Teaching 2:
Holy Martyr Akakios the Centurion
 
(On the Holy Martyrs)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Akakios, commemorated today by the Church, a martyr of the 4th century, was a native of Cappadocia, a Roman centurion by rank, and suffered during the reign of Maximian. For his resolute refusal to sacrifice to idols and for his fearless confession of Christianity, Akakios was subjected to cruel tortures, beaten with ox sinews and tin rods, then thrown into prison, where the Holy Martyr remained without food for 7 days. From prison, in heavy chains, he was brought to Constantinople and here, after new tortures, he ended his life under the executioner's sword. Constantine the Great erected a church in honor of the Holy Martyr Akakios on the site of his burial.

May: Day 7: Teaching 1: Commemoration of the Appearance of the Sign of the Cross of the Lord in Jerusalem in 351 A.D.

May: Day 7: Teaching 1:
Commemoration of the Appearance of the Sign of the Cross of the Lord in Jerusalem During the Reign of Emperor Constantius
 
(Reflecting on the Cross of the Lord, we must not only thank the Lord for the salvation He has accomplished for us, but also pray to Him for the forgiveness of the sins we commit.)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today we commemorate the appearance of the sign of the Cross of the Lord in Jerusalem, which was in the sky in the year 351. It was during the days of Holy Pentecost, that is, between Pascha and Pentecost, on the 7th of May, about the 3rd hour of the day. The Cross was made of light and extended over Golgotha, the mountain of Christ's crucifixion, to the Mount of Olives, from where the Lord ascended, about a two miles distance. The Cross was visible to the entire population of the city, and was visible for quite a long time during the day, and its light was stronger than the light of the sun's rays. The people hurried in crowds to the temples, and all trembled and prayed to the Lord. This heavenly phenomenon converted many of the Jews and pagans to Christ. It foretold that great cross which was to come upon the Church for twenty whole years after Constantine the Great from the emperors Constantius the Arian and Julian the Apostate.

The Vatican City State (Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

The Vatican City State

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The death of Pope Francis gave all the television networks and journalists the opportunity to praise Pope Francis’s humble attitude regarding his stay in the Vatican, his way of expressing himself on various contemporary issues and the instructions he gave for his funeral and burial. Every person has his own uniqueness, his gifts, his way of expressing himself and this is also the case with Pope Francis. Journalists and other analysts, as well as people who knew him, publicly praised him for these. However, we must not forget that, yes, people who hold a position play an important role, but in practice they cannot shape or change the institutional system of an organization of many centuries.

It is known that the Vatican is a State with all its powers, with a Prime Minister, Ministers, it exercises diplomacy in various countries with the Nuncios, it has a Bank - the so-called Vatican Bank - with the movement of enormous sums of money about which much is written from time to time. The clergy are divided into pastors and diplomats, the monastic orders have lost the hesychastic tradition and are concerned with social issues.

Beneficial Advice from Saint Sophia of Kleisoura

Saint Sophia of Kleisoura said:

"The eyes should see and not see.
The ears should hear and not hear.
The mouth should not blaspheme.
The mouth should have a key.
Do not transfer words from one person to another.
Have love for everyone.
Cover over things, that God may cover you.
Have much patience, much patience!"

***

The word that was constantly on her lips was the word of the Forerunner in the desert:

“Repent!”