Holy Apostle Thomas in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. The Holy Apostle Thomas, who was from Judea and by profession a fisherman, known as one of the twelve disciples of the Lord and having the reputation of being the doubting disciple, since after His Resurrection he asked to touch the Lord in order to be convinced, after receiving the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, went and preached the word of God to the Medes and Parthians, the Persians and the Indians. While he was in the eastern parts of India, he was arrested by King Smidaeus, because Azanes, the king’s son, his wife Tertia, and his daughters Mygdonia and Narka had believed in Christ through his preaching and had been baptized by the Apostle. For this reason, he was handed over to five soldiers, who took him up a mountain, where they pierced him through with their lances. Thus he departed to the Lord.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 6

 

The Month of October

Day 6

37. Through Almsgiving One Can Acquire a House in the Heavenly Dwelling

(From the Life of the Holy Apostle Thomas)

Blessed Augustine, in a treatise on greed and luxury, speaking about almsgiving, says, among other things, in the person of God: “The Lord said: ‘I have received, I will repay... I have received the earth, I will give heaven; ... I have received an inn, I will give a house’” (from the book Imperishable Food). What, then, is this last statement really true? Will the Lord truly give us a house in the heavenly dwelling in return for almsgiving? Yes, brethren, it is indeed true, and there is absolutely no reason to doubt what Blessed Augustine said in the person of God. Why? Because his words justify themselves in deed and demonstrate by their very fulfillment that they are truth, and immutable truth at that.

Once the Indian prince Gundaphor, wishing to build himself a house modeled after the palaces of the Roman emperors, sent one of his subjects, Avan, to Palestine to find the best architect. There Avan met the Apostle Thomas, and when Thomas learned from Avan why he had been sent, he told him that he was a most skilled builder, and the two of them went to India. Upon arriving there, Avan presented the Apostle to the king as a most accomplished architect, and the king, giving Thomas a large quantity of gold and silver and showing him the place where the house was to be built, ordered him to begin the construction and then departed on a journey to foreign lands. After the king’s departure, Thomas immediately distributed all the gold and silver he had received to the poor. 

 

Prologue in Sermons: October 6

A House Not Made with Hands

October 6

(The Commemoration of the Holy Apostle Thomas)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

I will tell you the following story from the life of the Holy Apostle Thomas. After the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles cast lots to determine where each of them should go to preach the word of God. Parthia, Media, and India fell to the lot of Thomas, and he began preparing for his journey. 

 

Meanwhile, at that very time, an Indian merchant named Avan came to Jerusalem seeking a skilled craftsman who could build his king a magnificent palace, and he became acquainted with the Apostle. Thomas told him that he himself was a skilled builder and went with him to India. Upon arriving before the king, Thomas offered him his services, and the king, thinking that he really was a skilled builder, entrusted him with the construction of a building and, showing him the site, gave him a substantial amount of gold and silver for the expenses. Taking the money, the Apostle distributed it to the poor, while instead of building the palace he devoted himself diligently to spreading the word of God. 

 

After some time, when the king wished to know how the work was progressing, someone told him that the roof was already being built, and the king, delighted by this news, sent Thomas an even greater amount of gold than before. The Apostle distributed this to the poor as well, while the palace still remained unbuilt. 

 

Holy Martyr Charitina in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. Saint Charitina lived during the reign of Diocletian, when Dometius was Count, while she herself was the slave of a certain Claudius. The Count, having heard that she was a Christian, wrote to her master, ordering him to send her to him for examination. Her master, who was also a Christian, was deeply grieved, to such an extent that he put on sackcloth and mourned for her. But the Saint consoled him and said to him: ‘My lord, do not grieve, but rejoice, because I shall be regarded as an acceptable sacrifice to God, both for my own shortcomings and for yours.’ Then Claudius, having said to her, ‘Remember me before the heavenly King,’ sent her to the Count. When she was brought there and confessed her faith in Christ, they shaved her head and poured burning coals upon it. Then they bound her to a heavy stone and threw her into the sea. But she, by the grace of God, came forth and appeared before the Count. And after she had been subjected to many other punishments as well, they pulled out the nails of her hands and feet, and thus she gave up her spirit to God.

October: Day 5: Teaching 2: Saints Peter, Alexy and Jonah, Metropolitans of Moscow and Wonderworkers of All Russia

October: Day 5: Teaching 2:
Saints Peter, Alexy and Jonah, Metropolitans of Moscow and Wonderworkers of All Russia
 
(Lessons From Their Lives: 
a. Every young person should receive his upbringing under the guidance of the Church; and 
b. Youth is the most precious period for the religious and moral upbringing of a Christian.)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today is the commemoration of three great hierarchs of the Russian Church: Peter, Alexy, and Jonah, Metropolitans of Moscow, whose names inevitably bring to mind also the name of the great hierarch Philip. Let us consider their lives so that we may learn from them how to raise our children today.

a) Saint Peter was a native of Volhynia. Upon reaching the age of seven, he was sent to receive a literary education; but however hard the young pupil tried at first, his studies did not proceed successfully. This caused him and his parents great sorrow. Once, as though in a dream, Peter saw a man dressed in hierarchal vestments who, standing near him, said: “Child, open your mouth!” The puzzled boy obeyed. At that moment, the one who had appeared touched his tongue and, blessing him, seemed to pour a certain sweetness into his mouth. From that time onward, he began to progress in his studies more than all his peers.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 5

The Month of October

Day 5

36. To Young Monks on the Fact that It Is None Other Than the Devil Who Compels Them to Leave Their Cells Unnecessarily and Go Outside the Monastery Enclosure

(From the Life of Venerable Matthew the Clairvoyant)

Our word today is addressed to you, young monks, and this is what we will say to you. You know that your monastic calling, among its various obligations, also imposes upon you the obligation of maintaining solitude. When you have attended the service and fulfilled one obedience or another, go to your cell and do not leave it without necessity. There, either continue to labor as much as the Lord gives you strength, or pray again, or meditate upon God—upon His greatness, holiness, wisdom, goodness, and righteousness; remember death, the fearful Judgment, Paradise, and Hell. What do you think, monks? Is this obligation important for you or not? I do not know what you will say, but for our part we think that this too is an important obligation; and why we think so, you will now hear from us.

Prologue in Sermons: October 5 (a)

On the Afterlife

October 5

(The Account of the Vision of Abbot Kosmas, Terrifying and Very Beneficial)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

We ought to be especially grateful to those Saints who, having been deemed worthy during their lifetime to behold the world after death, have left us accounts of it. For such accounts resolve many questions that are exceedingly difficult for us, dispel many of our unfounded judgments, and strengthen our faith in the truth of the gospel. As proof of this, here is something from the account of a pious man who was deemed worthy to behold the dwelling places of the Saints.

Prologue in Sermons: October 5 (b)

 

Late Repentance

October 5

(From the Discourse on Andrew, concerning a grave thief.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

People whose habit of a particular sin has become a passion think only of one thing: how they can indulge that sin as soon as possible. Warnings from those close to them mean nothing to them. But since everything has an end, their lawless deeds also have an end. And this end often comes while they are still alive, and a most lamentable end it is. They repent then, but too late.

Homily for the Second Sunday of Luke (St. Cleopa of Sihastria)

Homily for the Second Sunday of Luke, 
or Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

On Love for Enemies

“And I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

By St. Cleopa of Sihastria

Beloved faithful,

Our Savior Jesus Christ has shown that the greatest commandment in the Law is love for God, while the second, like it, is love of one’s neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39). He said that these two commandments contain the whole Law and all the Prophets (Matthew 22:40). If this is the truth, then no one can say that he loves God unless he first loves his neighbor. Saint John the Evangelist also says this, declaring: “If anyone says that he loves God, but hates his brother, he is a liar! For whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

Therefore, the Holy Gospel that was read today commands us to love our enemies, for this commandment is founded upon love for God and for our neighbor. Our neighbor is every person in the world (Luke 10:36–37), and we have no right to hate anyone, for all are created by God and possess the same nature as we do. But perhaps someone will say that Holy Scripture nevertheless shows that we may hate certain people, as the Psalmist says: “Those who hate You, O Lord, I have hated, and I have been grieved over Your enemies. With perfect hatred I have hated them, and they have become my enemies” (Psalm 138:21–22).