Prologue in Sermons: October 6

House Not Made With Hands

October 6

(Homily on the Holy Apostle Thomas)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

I will tell you the following story from the life of Saint Thomas the Apostle. After the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles cast lots to determine where each would go to preach the word of God. Thomas was assigned Parthia, Media, and India, and he began to prepare for his journey. Meanwhile, at that very time, an Indian merchant named Avan came to Jerusalem, seeking an artist to build a magnificent house for his king. He met the Apostle. Thomas told him that he himself was a skilled builder and set off with him to India. Arriving before the king, Thomas offered his services, and the king, believing him to be a truly skilled artist, entrusted him with the construction of the building and, after indicating the location, gave him a considerable sum of gold and silver for expenses. Taking the money, the Apostle distributed it to the poor, and instead of building a palace, he began to zealously spread the word of God. Some time later, someone told the king, who wanted to know how the work was progressing, that the roof was already under construction. Overjoyed by this news, the king sent Thomas an even greater amount of gold than before. The Apostle distributed this to the poor, but the palace was still not built. Finally, it was revealed to the king that Thomas was deceiving him, and the king, blazing with anger, immediately ordered him to be brought before him and he cried out, "Where is the house you were supposed to build?" The Apostle replied that the house was not here, but that he would see it after death and only then would he take possession of it. The king, seeing Thomas's words as mockery towards himself, ordered him thrown into prison, where he was threatened with a terrible fate. However, in reality, things turned out differently. The king's beloved brother fell dangerously ill and during his illness had the following vision. He was shown the dwellings of the saints and asked to choose the one he particularly liked. When he had selected one of the best and pointed to it, the angel accompanying him told him he could not occupy that dwelling because it had already been prepared for his brother, the king. Coming to his senses, he reported his vision to the king, who, convinced that the Apostle was truly preparing a heavenly dwelling for him, rather than an earthly one, immediately commanded to release him and, falling at his feet, begged his forgiveness. Saint Thomas then instructed him in the Christian faith and baptized him.

The Origin of the Gold-Diamond Cross on the Sacred Skull of the Apostle Thomas

 

Saint Thomas the Apostle is commemorated with honor and splendor by our Church today (October 6th). We in Patmos have the blessing of hosting his honorable and miraculous skull in the Sacred Monastery of Saint John the Theologian. It came to Patmos from the Metochion of Patmos in Chios, dedicated to the Apostle Thomas to protect it from the Genoese who eventually occupied the island (1346-1566) and since then it has been established as a symbol of our homeland.

As is known, when the Apostle Thomas traveled to the region of India as a missionary, he baptized into the faith of Christ the wife and children of the king, and the king, enraged, gave the order for him to be killed by being speared. His sacred relic remained there until the son of Constantine the Great transferred it to Constantinople. In 1204 the relic was transferred to Rome along with other Saints stolen as spoils from the Fourth Crusade. Ephraim the Syrian reports that the relics of the Apostle Thomas were first transferred to Edessa or Antioch in Mesopotamia.

The Empirical Theologians and the Contemplative Thinkers

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

I see the way in which empirical theologians (the saints) theologize and the way in which philosophical thinkers theologize and I understand the great difference between them. Empirical theologians are the Theoptic saints (Prophets, Apostles, Saints), while contemplative theologians are those who reason on dogmatic issues that refer to God, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Saints. And so the difference between them is abyssal.

I will cite two examples that will make this clear, and they refer to the way the Fathers theologized at the First Ecumenical Synod in contrast to the philosopher Arius.

Father Eusebios Giannakakis: "At the Proskomide I Chat With Saint John the Theologian"

Thirty to forty people worked daily at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Aigaleia, who had to be paid every Saturday. In addition to the cost of building materials, a significant amount of money was needed for the workers’ insurance. The Monastery had no income or movable or immovable property, yet the work proceeded without interruption. During the reconstruction, the Brotherhood literally experienced a miracle. His Eminence told the faithful: “If you want to see a miracle today, see how this Monastery is being built. It is a prolonged miracle.”

The main factor in this miracle was Father Eusebios (+ 1995), who had entrusted the Monastery to the protection and intercession of Saint John the Theologian. He had amazing optimism and faith. Where the sisters saw darkness, he saw light. Where they saw narrowness and difficulty, he saw spaciousness. Knowing the magnitude of the work, they were timid, but the Elder, seeing with the eyes of his pure soul the protection and providence of God surrounding them, supported them with prophetic words:

Homily Two on the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily Two on the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1961)

"If we love one another, God abides in us" (1 John 4:12)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Today, dear brothers and sisters, we honor the memory of one of the great Apostles of Christ, a pillar of the Christian Church, a zealous preacher of Christ's teachings, who wrote for us the Holy Gospel, three Epistles and the Apocalypse, the wise and loving Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, recalling the day of his death.

He was the closest and most beloved disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ, or, as the Church hymn puts it, the friend and confidant of Christ. What made this Apostle so different from the Lord's other disciples, and how did he earn such special favor and affection from Jesus Christ?