September: Day 30: Teaching 1: Saint Michael, First Metropolitan of Kiev

September: Day 30: Teaching 1:
Saint Michael, First Metropolitan of Kiev
 
(The Orthodox Faith is a Gift from God; It Must Be Firmly Held)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Michael, whose memory is celebrated today, was a worthy successor to the exploits and piety of the great Eastern hierarchs, who were the successors of the authority and spirit of the apostles. He came to us from Greece with apostolic zeal, with the spirit of pastoral love and wisdom that inspired the ancient Eastern hierarchs. The first deed of the first archbishop of Kiev was the baptism of the twelve sons of the Holy Prince Vladimir and all the people of Kiev; then the Saint, with fatherly meekness and love, took care to strengthen the faith of the newly converted and to spread the faith among the unfaithful sons of the Russian land. He zealously built churches in Kiev and other cities and villages; appointed and instructed priests; choosing experienced mentors, he entrusted them with the upbringing and education of children, urging them to teach them with meekness, especially the fear of God, good behavior and chastity.

September: Day 29: Teaching 1: Venerable Kyriakos the Anchorite

September: Day 29: Teaching 1:
Venerable Kyriakos the Anchorite
 
(On the Reading of the Lives of the Saints)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Kyriakos, whose memory is celebrated today, was born in Carthage and was the son of a priest. From his early years, Kyriakos became addicted to reading books. From morning until evening he sat with books, from which he learned about the works of God, directed to the salvation of man. So he studied biblical history and began to read the lives of the saints. This reading finally strengthened his heart, he learned many lives by heart and wanted to imitate them in his life. He withdrew into the desert and spent his entire life in asceticism.

II. Read, brethren, the lives of the saints, and you, like Kyriakos, will find for yourselves many examples worthy of imitation. The example of the saints will instruct and encourage you to do good deeds.

Homily One on the Second Sunday of Luke (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily One on the Second Sunday of Luke

By St. John of Kronstadt

“Just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).

In the Gospel read today, the Lord teaches us to treat all people as we wish them to treat us, that is, simply, lovingly, sincerely, purely, holy, respectfully, indulgently, patiently, kindly, freely and willingly. The Lord gives us a simple and wise rule, and it is convenient for everyone to follow - for the simpleton and the learned, for the rich and the poor, for the noble and the ignoble, for the old and the young. Because each of us has in our soul a measure and a rule, although not always correct, by which we now determine whether our neighbors treat us well or not, and if they treat us well we are calm and contented, and our affairs have a correct course; if not well, coldly, unaffectionately, or contemptuously, unkindly, forced, unfairly or even hostilely, we are very dissatisfied, and sometimes unsuccessful in our affairs themselves. We must observe the same measure, only from the good side, in relation to other people with whom we have to live and act every day, or just meet, get to know, be together. Treat everyone the same way you want them to treat you; sincerely respect and love everyone; be kind to everyone from the heart; pity those who sin; sympathize with the misfortune, grief, sorrow, loss, poverty of your neighbor; take advantage of the opportunity to do good to someone; rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep; do not think badly about anyone without sufficient reason, but think good about everyone; do not have in your soul enmity and hostility towards anyone, or envy and ill will; do not humiliate or despise anyone in your soul because of any shortcomings and errors, but cover everyone and everything with love and indulgence; look at those who sin as weak, as spiritually ill; do not repay evil for evil, but repay good for evil - and you will fulfill the commandment of Christ and will be crowned with an incorruptible crown of righteousness and eternal life. It is a great thing, beloved brothers and sisters, not to give place in one's soul to any evil, not even for a single minute, but to constantly overcome evil with good, and every sin with appropriate repentance and prayer; for it is foolish and disastrous to increase evil with evil, and, so to speak, to pour oil on the fire, and make a flame out of a small fire. Evil or any sin is the greatest calamity, tragedy, misfortune of the human race, which must be bitterly regretted and which must be eradicated, if possible, by good, love, prayer, admonition, philanthropy or righteous punishment, and, in extreme cases, by casting out the evil person from among you. "Cast away the evil one from among you" (1 Cor. 5:13).

Oikos to Saint Isaac the Syrian

Oikos

You have shone to be, an angel in asceticism, all-blessed Isaac the God-bearer, and with your angelic voice, you have given to us words of salvation, unto a better life, which leads us to cry out:

Rejoice, the star of Syria;
Rejoice, the lamp of silence.

Rejoice, you who surpassed the earthly mindset;
Rejoice, you who partook in heavenly illumination.

Rejoice, God-formed pillar, of sacred hesychasts;
Rejoice, honey-flowing mouth, of spiritual teachings.

Rejoice, for you were filled with God-given wisdom;
Rejoice, for you were released from wicked passions.

Rejoice, most fervent servant of Christ;
Rejoice, our teacher divinely inspired.

Rejoice, wise Isaac the God-bearer;
Rejoice, our guide in divine discourse.

Rejoice, divinely-wise Father.

Source: Composed by St. Gerasimos Mikragiannanitis. Commissioned by St. Paisios the Athonite. For Matins on September 28th. Translated by John Sanidopoulos. 

September: Day 28: Teaching 1: Saint Chariton the Confessor

September: Day 28: Teaching 1:
Saint Chariton the Confessor
 
(Lessons From His Life:
a. The Ways of God's Providence, Preserving His Faithful Servants;
b. Man is Great and Beloved in the Eyes of God)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Confessor Chariton, whose memory is celebrated today, lived during the reign of the emperor Aurelian in the city of Iconium. When a persecution of Christians was declared, he was brought to trial. The commander asked him why he did not worship the gods before whom the emperor and all nations humble themselves. The Saint answered: "The pagan gods are demons, who were once cast out of heaven for pride, but are now revered as gods by mad and deluded people." They began to torture Chariton, then threw the tortured man into prison, where the Lord healed him. The new emperor, who ascended the throne of Aurelian, who had been murdered by his confidants, was afraid to persecute the Christians and set Christ's prisoners free. Then Chariton went to Jerusalem to venerate the Lord's tomb, but on the road, near Jericho, he was seized by robbers who wanted to kill him. Having tied him up and thrown him into the recesses of their cave, the robbers went off to do their vile work. It happened, by the providence of God, that a snake crawled into a vessel of wine standing in their cave and poisoned the wine. The robbers, having drunk the poisoned wine, perished. Saint Chariton remained in the robbers' cave and began to lead an ascetic life. Having heard about the ascetic in the dark cave, many flocked to him, and thus the first, most famous Lavra in Palestine was established - Pharan, with a strict ascetic life. The Saint himself wrote the rules for the Lavra. Seeking silence, Chariton withdrew from the Lavra into the desert, but here too zealots of the ascetic life came to him, and a new Lavra was formed - Douka in Jericho. In a similar way, he also established the third Lavra - Souka. Before his death, about which the Lord informed him, having gathered the brethren of the three monasteries and given them instructions, according to the general desire of the brethren, the Saint commanded that his body be buried in the first Lavra, in the cave where the robbers wanted to kill him. Saint Chariton died in 350.

September: Day 27: Teaching 2: Venerable Sabbatius of Solovki

September: Day 27: Teaching 2:
Venerable Sabbatius of Solovki
 
(One Should Not Avoid Holy Communion)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Sabbatius, now commemorated by the Church, lived during the reign of Grand Prince Vasily Vasilyevich the Dark. At first he labored in the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, where he distinguished himself by his strict obedience to the abbot, his exemplary life, and his love for all the brethren. Then, seeking complete solitude, he first retired to a monastery on the island of Valaam in Lake Ladoga, and then in 1429 he moved to the uninhabited Solovetsky Island in the White Sea. The coastal inhabitants marveled at Sabbatius’s determination: “How can this elder,” they said, “live on a cold, almost barren island?” while others laughed at him. Only one ascetic, Herman, decided to accompany Sabbatius. Both built huts for themselves on an island twelve miles from the shore and settled there. Their life was very hard, full of deprivations. The rocky soil of the island was difficult to cultivate; winter and autumn were very severe, the cold and wind were barely bearable. Sabbatius lived on Solovetsky Island for six years, enduring labor and hardship. One day, Herman went to the mouth of the Onega River, and Sabbatius was left alone on the island. At that time, he received a message from God about his imminent death, and "he hurried" to dry land to find a priest and "partake of the Holy Mysteries." He sailed across the sea in a boat and ten miles from the mouth of the Vyga River he met Abbot Nathanael, who lived there at a small chapel. Nathanael gave him the Holy Mysteries and Sabbatius died peacefully on September 27, 1435. He was buried near Nathanael's chapel. 30 years after the death of Saint Sabbatius, his relics were discovered incorrupt and were transferred to the Solovetsky Monastery.

September: Day 27: Teaching 1: Holy Martyr Kallistratos

September: Day 27: Teaching 1:
Holy Martyr Kallistratos
 
(Lessons From His Life:
a. Admonition To Perform Night Prayers, and
b. To Love the Lord Above All Else)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Kallistratos, whose memory is celebrated today, had as his grandfather a certain soldier named Neokoros, who served under Pontius Pilate and was a witness to the suffering and death of the Savior. Neokoros saw the miracles that accompanied the death and resurrection of the Savior, believed in Him and was baptized by the apostles. Returning to his native city of Carthage, Neokoros told everyone about Christ, as an eyewitness, and confirmed the faith of Christ in his family. Imitating his grandfather and father, Kallistratos taught the faith of Christ to his fellow soldiers and passed on to them what he inherited from his father and grandfather. But such activity could not be hidden from the pagans, especially since it was accompanied by a pious life. It was reported of Saint Kallistratos "that he spends his nights in prayer, during which he lovingly remembers the name of Christ the Savior," for Whom he was always ready to suffer with joy. He was summoned for interrogation, where he steadfastly confessed himself a Christian and suffered along with 49 other soldiers. Kallistratos was subjected to cruel tortures and was cut into small pieces with a sword. This was during the reign of Diocletian.

Homily on the First Sunday of Luke (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

 

Homily on the First Sunday of Luke

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1960)

Dear brothers and sisters, today we read a wondrous story about the miraculous fishing of the Apostle Peter on Lake Gennesaret. The Evangelist Luke tells us that once, when the Lord was standing at the shore of the lake, and the people were crowding to Him to hear the word of God, He saw two boats and fishermen coming out of them, who were washing their nets. Entering one of them, which belonged to Simon, He asked them to sail a little away from the shore, and sitting down, He taught the people from the boat. When He stopped teaching, He said to Simon:

“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:4-11)

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

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

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1960)

Dear brothers and sisters, today the Holy Orthodox Church brightly celebrates the day of the departure to the Lord of one of the first Apostles, one of the beloved disciples of Christ, Saint John the Theologian.

Saint John, the son of the Galilean fisherman Zebedee and Salome, was a disciple of John the Baptist before his conversion to Christ. After his conversion to Christ, Saint John never again departed from the Lord, because he loved Him with his pure heart more than anything else in the world. During the earthly life of the Savior, John, among His three closest disciples, was vouchsafed to be a witness to the manifestation of Divine glory on Mount Tabor, and was present at the resurrection of Jairus' daughter; at the Secret Supper, the Lord revealed to him His betrayer, Judas.

Homily on the Day of the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian (St. John of Kronstadt)

Word Twelve

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

By St. John of Kronstadt

(Delivered on September 26, 1905)

The holy repose of the beloved disciple of Christ is a lesson in the resurrection and immortality.

Today the Church of Christ celebrates the glorious memory of the death of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian from temporal life to eternal, from corruptible to incorruptible, from laborious and sorrowful to eternal peace and joy, from toil to royalty, for to him, together with the other Apostles, the royal seat and judgment over the twelve tribes of Israel were promised by the Truth Himself - Christ. The death of the beloved disciple and confidant of Christ was supernatural: three days after the burial, his body was not found in the ground in which he was buried; he was transferred with his body to the heavenly dwellings, to the throne of God, having received at the same time the lot - to remain on earth at will, until the second terrible coming of Christ, in fulfillment of the words of the Lord, spoken to the Apostle Peter: "If I want him to remain [in the body] until I come, what is that to you?" (John 21:23)

September: Day 26: Teaching 1: The Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

September: Day 26: Teaching 1:
The Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
 
(On the Motivations for Mutual Christian Love)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. All the apostles, and after them the shepherds and teachers of the Christian Church, inspire us with mutual love for one another; but Saint John the Theologian, whose memory we now celebrate, can be called preeminently a Preacher of Love. According to the testimony of one Church chronicler, he constantly said to Christians: "Children, love one another!" "Beloved, let us love one another!" His whole life was an expression of the love that he taught.

"My children! Let us love not in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth," says this apostle. He outlived all the apostles and was the only one of them to die a natural death in extreme old age.

Homily One on the Repose of Saint Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh, Wonderworker of All Russia (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily One on the Repose of Saint Sergius, 

Abbot of Radonezh, Wonderworker of All Russia

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1960)

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

Dear brothers and sisters, today the entire Orthodox Christian world, with a sense of spiritual joy and gladness, brightly celebrates the day of the repose of our Venerable and God-bearing Father Sergius, the Saint of God, the great ascetic and intercessor of the Russian Land. But for you and me, dear brothers and sisters, this spiritual joy is compounded by the fact that, by the mercy of God, we have the happiness on this solemn and joyous day to be present in body and spirit at this holy place, where Saint Sergius himself lived, labored, and asceticized, and where his incorrupt holy relics rest.

September: Day 25: Teaching 1: Saint Sergius, Wonderworker of Radonezh

September: Day 25: Teaching 1:
Saint Sergius, Wonderworker of Radonezh
 
(Lessons from the Life of Saint Sergius: 

Love of Solitude, Humility and Abstinence)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today, Christian brethren, the Orthodox Church remembers and glorifies with its hymns the holy life and blessed death of the Saint of God Sergius, the Wonderworker of Radonezh. This holy man died more than 500 years ago. He came from a noble family and was the son of pious parents. As the Sovereign, for the good of his fatherland and his subjects, invites people from different countries and ranks, so our heavenly King and Father chooses for Himself servants from different classes, calling people for great spiritual feats not from any one family, but from every rank and, overshadowing His chosen ones with the grace of the Holy Spirit, He shows them to be both conductors of heavenly gifts to sinners and intercessors pleasing to Him for people.

September: Day 24: Holy Protomartyr Thekla

September: Day 24:
Holy Protomartyr Thekla
 
(On the Motivations for Preserving Chastity)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Thekla, whose memory is celebrated today, was the first Christian martyr. For her participation in the preaching of the gospel, she was called Equal to the Apostles. When the Holy Apostles Paul and Barnabas were passing through Iconium, they stayed with a pious man named Onesiphoros. Many gathered at Onesiphoros’ house to listen to the apostles. Among those visiting Onesiphoros’ house was Thekla, the daughter of noble and wealthy parents. Thekla was betrothed to a young man, but when she heard the preaching of the Apostle Paul, she secretly accepted the Christian faith and decided to devote her entire life to God without entering into marriage. After repeated suffering for Christ, Thekla settled on a mountain, in the most deserted place, where many came to her for teachings. And she taught, healed the sick and converted the pagans. Thus did Saint Thekla, who was distinguished by strict chastity, spend many years in prayer and good deeds and died in old age, having lived to the age of 90.

September: Day 23: Teaching 1: The Conception of the Honorable Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John

 

September: Day 23: Teaching 1:
The Conception of the Honorable Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
 
(A Person's Triple Birthday)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today, brethren, we celebrate the conception of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. On September 23, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Saint Zechariah when he, celebrating a service in the temple, approached the altar of incense to burn incense. Zechariah was frightened, upon suddenly seeing the angel. The Archangel said: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John (i.e. grace of God). He will be great before God, from birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord. And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to present a people prepared for the Lord.” Then Zechariah said to the angel: “How do I know this? For I am old, and so is my wife." The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, sent by God to bring you this good news. And now, because you do not trust me, you will be mute until my prediction is fulfilled." Meanwhile, the people were amazed at why Zechariah lingered so long in the sanctuary. And when he came out, he could not speak. The people realized that he had seen a vision. Saint Zechariah returned to the house, and soon Saint Elizabeth conceived the predicted son and hid herself for a long time, saying, "The Lord has looked upon me to take away my reproach among people for childlessness."

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost Resource Page

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost

 

1 Corinthians 16:13-24

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle Reading

 

Homily on the Epistle for the 13th Sunday After Pentecost (Metr. George Pavlidis of Nikaia)

 

Homily Two on the First Sunday of Luke (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Two on the First Sunday of Luke

By St. John of Kronstadt

“Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10).

For the glory of God and the salvation of Christian souls, I want now, beloved brethren, to say a short word about the catching of men. When the Apostle Peter, having cast a fishing net into the Sea of Gennesaret at the word of the Lord, drew it out with a multitude of fish, whereas before he had fished all night and could not catch anything, and when, in horror from such a miraculous catch, he fell at the knees of the Savior, asking Him to depart from him as from a sinner unworthy to be with the Lord, the Savior said to him: "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men," i.e. this miraculous catch of fish by Peter signified his future successes with the assistance of the Savior, in preaching the Gospel, or in catching people from the abyss of destruction into eternal life.

September: Day 21: Teaching 2: Prophet Jonah

September: Day 21: Teaching 2:*
Prophet Jonah
 
(Why Does the Sinful World Stand Indestructible To This Day?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Prophet Jonah, whose memory we now commemorate, was the successor of the Prophet Elisha and prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II, in the 8th century B.C. Jonah predicted to this king victory over the Syrians, the most dangerous enemies of the Israelites. And indeed, Jeroboam returned to his kingdom the ancient regions taken by the Syrians. Then the Lord commanded Jonah to preach repentance in the Assyrian city of Nineveh. Jonah loved his fatherland too much to favor its enemies, and instead of fulfilling the will of the Lord, he boarded a Phoenician ship and went to Tarshish. But as soon as the ship sailed, a storm arose at sea, and every minute the sailors were afraid that the ship would sink. Jonah, trusting in God, was not afraid of drowning and calmly retired to the cabin, where he fell asleep. The sailors woke him and said: "Why are you sleeping? Call upon your God, that He may save us, that we may not perish." But the storm did not abate. Then they decided to cast lots to find out for whose fault such a disaster had befallen them all: and the lot fell on Jonah. The sailors asked him: "Who are you, where is your country and people, what is your occupation?" Jonah answered: "I am a Hebrew; Jehovah sent me to preach to Nineveh, but I disobeyed and am going to Tarshish." The sailors were terrified and said to the prophet: "What can we do to you, that the sea may be calm?" Jonah answered: "Throw me into the sea, and it will be calm, since for my sake such a storm has befallen us all." As soon as the sailors did this, the storm abated. Thrown into the sea, Jonah was swallowed up by a huge fish and remained inside it for three days, first in fear for his life, then in hope of God's help. After three days, the fish vomited him up on the Syrian coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Jonah went to Nineveh and began to preach that it would perish in forty days. Horror seized the Ninevites. They abandoned their wickedness, instituted a general fast, and put on mournful clothes. The Lord, seeing the repentance of the Ninevites, was moved with mercy and postponed the execution for a time. Meanwhile, Jonah, having built a hut for himself outside the city walls, awaited the fulfillment of his prophecy. Seeing that forty days had passed and the city remained unharmed, he began to complain about God's mercy to the corrupt inhabitants of Nineveh. Then the Lord admonished him in the following way. Over the prophet's hut, one night, a branchy tree grew. Jonah was very glad that he could hide under its branches from the scorching rays of the sun. But the next day the tree was gnawed by a worm and dried up; then with the sunrise a scorching east wind blew, and there was no longer protection from the heat. Jonah was so upset by the loss of the plant that had given him coolness that he wished he were dead. Then the Lord said to him, "You have pity on the plant, which you did not plant, nor make it grow, which came up in one night and withered in one night. How can I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left?"

September: Day 21: Teaching 1: Saint Dimitri of Rostov

 

September: Day 21: Teaching 1:
Saint Dimitri of Rostov
 
(On Helping Those in Need of Food)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Dimitri, Metropolitan of Rostov, whose memory is celebrated today, was born in 1651 in the Kiev province of pious parents, the sotnik Savva and Maria, and was named Daniel at baptism. After home schooling, he was educated at the Kiev fraternal school. At the age of eighteen, he, at the inclination of his heart, took monastic vows, and six years later the Chernigov Archbishop Lazar Baranovich ordained him a hieromonk and appointed him a preacher at the cathedral. The strict ascetic life that Saint Dimitri led distinguished him from others, so that in his youth he was made abbot of a monastery in the Chernigov province. But burdened by the cares connected with this title, he soon gave up the abbotship and retired to the Kiev Caves Lavra, where he devoted himself to prayerful exploits and scholarly pursuits. Here he began to compile the "Lives of the Saints", under the name "Cheti-Minei", i.e. monthly readings, which later became the favorite and precious reading of the pious Russian people. In 1701, Saint Dimitri, for his virtues and labors, was consecrated to the rank of Metropolitan of Tobolsk and Siberia for the dissemination of the Christian faith among the numerous pagans living in this distant country. However, due to his poor health, he could not go there, as a result of which the following year he was appointed Metropolitan of Rostov.

September: Day 20: Teaching 3: Holy Great Martyr Eustathios Plakidas

September: Day 20: Teaching 3:
Holy Great Martyr Eustathios Plakidas
 
(In Misfortunes One Should Not Become Despondent and Despair, 

But Should Place All Hope in God)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Great Martyr Eustathios, whose memory is today, was a Roman commander, had enormous wealth, many slaves, was happy and famous. But then, grief after grief, misfortune after misfortune began to pursue him. First of all, death visited his house; then unkind people came, robbed him, and he became a beggar and a helpless wanderer. A robber took away his good and pious wife; wild beasts carried off his two sons, and Eustathios was left alone with his grief. What could be more terrible than his situation? But he was not lost in it. “For I weep like a man, O Lord,” he said, “but I am strengthened in You, my Provider and the builder of my path, and I trust in You, and with Your love, like cool dew, and with Your desire, like sweetness, I sweeten the bitterness of my misfortunes.” Thus, having nothing on earth, he turned entirely to God, and God consoled him. The time came and he became even richer and more noble; he found his wife and children miraculously preserved by God, and later he found such grace and mercy from the Lord that he was worthy of the crown of martyrdom.

September: Day 20: Teaching 1: Holy Right-Believing Prince Michael and Boyar Theodore, Wonderworkers of Chernigov

September: Day 20: Teaching 1:
Holy Right-Believing Prince Michael and Boyar Theodore, Wonderworkers of Chernigov
 
(The Feat of Confessing of Faith in Our Time and in Our Fatherland)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Orthodox Church has long ago included two martyrs of the Russian land among the saints - the Chernigov prince Michael and his boyar Theodore, whose exploits in their confession of the Christian faith it remembers on this day. Almost six hundred years separate us from their martyrdom, but reflection on it is always accompanied by great moral benefit for us, their descendants.

Prince Michael lived in those difficult times for Russia, when it was ruled by the Tatars, pagans. Having received an order to appear before the Horde as a tributary of the Khan, he went there with a firm determination to die a martyr for the holy Christian faith rather than shamefully betray it by worshiping idols, as some princes had decided to do, having gone before him to the Tatar Khan. His boyar, Theodore, who accompanied him, had the same thoughts as the prince. Khan Batu, who was hostile to the Chernigov prince because he, burning with love for the holy faith and his dear homeland, encouraged his neighbors to rise up against the Tatar yoke, ordered that he be admitted to him only after he had passed through the so-called "sacred fire" and worshiped the pagan gods of the Tatars - the idols made of felt. "No," Michael answered courageously, "I can bow to your king, to whom heaven has entrusted the fate of earthly states; but a Christian serves neither fire nor soulless idols." Batu was furious to hear such a bold answer from his powerless tributary. He ordered that he be given one of two options: either to bow to his gods and receive life, freedom and the right to own the principality, or to die an evil death for resisting his will. So on the one hand - freedom and life with its pleasures, family happiness with a wife and children among the beloved subjects of his principality, but for that - betrayal of Christ and His Holy Church; on the other hand - torment and death far from family and homeland, but for that - fidelity to the Christian faith. The choice was short and decisive: the prince chose the latter.

What inclined his soul to this exalted feat?

A Recent Visit of Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos to Mount Athos

Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou was recently on Mount Athos, with the Metropolis releasing the following relevant information:

"During September 11-14, 2024, His Eminence the Metropolitan of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou, Mr. Hierotheos, visited the Holy Mountain, as a guest of the Sacred Great Monastery of Vatopaidi, with the permission of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. Hieronymos, in order to celebrate the festival for the greatest feast day of the Sacred Monastery, the Deposition of the Holy Zoni of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is kept in this revered Sacred Monastery."

His Eminence was accompanied to Mount Athos by: the Mayor of Nafpaktia Mr. Vasilios Gizas, the Deputy Mayor Mr. Thomas Kotronias, the lawyer Mr. Konstantinos Efthymiou, the Archimandrite Father Polykarpos Theophanis, the Protopresbyter Father George Papavarnavas, the Deacon Father Paisios Paraskevas and lay people.

September: Day 19: Holy Martyrs Trophimos, Sabbatios and Dorymedon

 

September: Day 19:
Holy Martyrs Trophimos, Sabbatios and Dorymedon
 
(Every Christian Must Carry His Own Cross)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyrs Trophimos, Sabbatios and Dorymedon, whose memory is celebrated today, suffered in the 3rd century. Once, when the pagans were celebrating their feast day in Pisidian Antioch with special solemnity, two Christians, Trophimos and Sabbatios, looked at them with sadness and prayed to God to turn the erring to the path of truth. They were seized and sent to the governor Atticus. The governor offered them to renounce Christ and ordered them to be tortured for their disobedience. Sabbatios died from torture, and Trophimos was sent to Phrygia to the governor Dionysius, who was famous for his art of torturing Christians. The Saint was beaten with sinews, cut and his wounds were sprinkled with salt; but he endured all the tortures and only repeated: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” After the torture, the Saint was thrown into prison. Here the Christian senator Dorymedon began to visit him. Having learned of this, Dionysius demanded that Dorymedon renounce Christianity, but having received a refusal, he ordered that he and Trophimos be thrown to the beasts to be eaten. The beasts did not touch the Saints, and they were then beheaded with a sword.

Saint Daniel of Katounakia as a Model for our Lives

St. Daniel of Katounakia (Feast Day - September 7)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

Saint Daniel of Katounakia was born in Smyrna in 1844 to pious parents. He was an excellent student and graduate of the Evangelical School of Smyrna and from his youth he longed for his complete dedication to God. Following the advice of his spiritual father, he visited various monasteries in the Peloponnese and Greek islands. In Paros, he met and became spiritually connected with Saint Arsenios of Paros, who advised him to go to the Sacred Monastery of Saint Panteleimon on the Holy Mountain, where he became a monk in 1866, and from Demetrios he was named Daniel. However, due to the conflicts between the Greek and Russian monks, the Greek monks were forced to leave the Monastery. Daniel went to the Sacred Monastery of Saint Anastasia the Pharmakolytria, in Vasilika of Thessaloniki. His arrival at this Sacred Monastery turned out to be a real blessing, since he helped in its spiritual recovery by introducing the Hagiorite typikon.

September: Day 18: Teaching 1: Venerable Eumenios, Bishop of Gortyna

September: Day 18: Teaching 1:
Venerable Eumenios, Bishop of Gortyna
 
(Physical and Spiritual Works of Mercy)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Eumenios, whose memory is celebrated today, was bishop of the city of Gortyna, on the island of Crete, and lived in the 7th century. He had a very kind heart, responded warmly to all the misfortunes of his neighbors and, even in his youth, gave away all his property to the poor; besides this, he was very peace-loving and did not tolerate hostility. For his strict and pious life, full of deeds of mercy, spiritual and physical, he was elevated to Bishop of Gortyna and was glorified by God for many miracles. For resisting the heresy of the Monothelites, who recognized in Jesus Christ only the Divine will, and rejected the human will (the Sixth Ecumenical Synod was against them), Saint Eumenios was exiled to the Thebaid, where he died. His body was buried in Gortyna.

Former Popular Tik Toker Speaks Out On Why She Left Everything to Become an Orthodox Nun

On the evening of July 20th 2024, as the feast of the Prophet Elijah was drawing to a close, Metropolitan Makarios of Sidirokastro officiated at the Post-Festal Vespers at the Monastery of the Prophet Elijah in Kato Poroia, a village in Serres of Greece. There, in an atmosphere of reverence and solemnity, the Metropolitan tonsured two women as nuns. One of these women was named Katherine and she received the Great Schema along with the new name Makrina, while the other was a 23-year-old young woman named Helen Mazlou and she received the Small Schema along with the new name Ypomoni.

The feast drew a large crowd to the monastery that day, most of which were outdoors in the excessive summer heat, and this also is where the tonsurings took place, underneath the pine trees. After the tonsuring, the Metropolitan spoke words of advice and encouragement to the new nuns, and also addressed their Elders, Fathers Ioanikkios Kotsonis and Dositheos. This was followed with a rich feast.

September: Day 17: Teaching 1: Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

September: Day 17: Teaching 1: 

Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia
 
(How Ancient Christians Raised and Taught Their Children)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyrs Sophia and her three daughters: Faith, Hope and Love suffered in Rome during the reign of Hadrian in the 2nd century. During the persecution of Christians in 137, Sophia, a pious widow, was summoned to trial with her daughters Faith, Hope and Love, the eldest of whom was 12 years old and the youngest only 9.

"Lord! Do not abandon us, but help us not to be afraid of torment, not to be afraid of death! Help us, our Savior, not to turn away from You!" - the Christian mother cried out in prayer, with her three daughters, in whom she had already managed to establish the faith of Christ. And having prayed, they calmly went to court, surrendering themselves to the will of Him Who commanded us to not fear those who kill the body, but rather who kills the soul.

Introduction to the Life and Miracles of the Holy Great Martyr Euphemia (St. John of Kronstadt)

St. John of Kronstadt wrote the following introduction to the Life of Saint Euphemia that appears to have been published during his lifetime.

"God is wondrous in His saints" (Ps. 68:36).

"Praise God in His saints" (Ps. 150:1).

In the present age, the age of materialism, one can often meet among Christian people those who reject the existence of spirits and do not believe in the rational and conscious existence of human souls after the death of the body; in the eternity of blessedness for the righteous and the eternity of torment for sinners; in the miraculous incorruptibility of holy relics and in the miracles performed by them through the power of the Holy Spirit. One can meet people who treat holy relics and holy icons with disrespect in their speech, and call their due veneration idolatry. Finally, there are people who assert that all our torments and pleasures are only here on earth, and that therefore we must use time to enjoy everything that comes our way, more and faster, while we are alive and death has not overtaken us: for after death we, many of them say, will be destroyed, as if we had never existed. For such carnal people, who do not have the spirit, who "count it pleasure to revel in the daytime" (2 Pet. 2:13), in order to heal them from this disease of the spirit, called materialism, or simply sensuality, carnality ("My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh" - Gen. 6:3), one must advise abstinence, and with abstinence there should be prayer and diligent reading of the word of God and the lives of the saints. Abstinence and prayer will thin the carnality of their hearts ("For the hearts of this people have grown fat" - Matt. 13:15), humble their proud spirit and give access to the grace of the Holy Spirit to their hearts; the word of God will open and enlighten the eyes of their hearts, blinded by unbelief and carnality; and the lives of the saints will confirm to them by their very deeds the truth of the word of God written and given, for example: the truth of the existence of the spiritual world, the truth of the existence of human souls after the death of the body ("For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him" - Lk. 20:38), the possibility of their communication with us living on earth, the truth of future reward, the truth of the veneration of holy relics and holy icons, etc. 

 

September: Day 16: Teaching 1: Holy Great Martyr Euphemia

September: Day 16: Teaching 1: 

Holy Great Martyr Euphemia
 
(On the Education of Children in the Spirit of Faith and Piety)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today the Holy Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Euphemia. She suffered during the most severe persecution of Diocletian. She was a virgin and at a very young age. All 49 Christians were taken with her. The other Christian martyrs feared for the young maiden Euphemia and exhorted her to be firm in the faith. When they were brought before the judge, he soon noticed the young maiden Euphemia, who, raising her eyes and hands to heaven, cried out: "Do not abandon me, Lord Jesus Christ. I trust in You, strengthen me, Your weak servant." The judge meanwhile turned to her with an admonition to renounce Christ. But she firmly answered: "Do not think that I am deceived by your words. Of course, I am a woman and by nature weak in body and young in years, but my heart is strong, faith strengthens my weakness, and by this faith I am stronger than you and wiser than the wise men who worship soulless gods." The judge ordered the girl to be tied to a wheel on which there were many sharp knives. Euphemia prayed and suddenly the wheel stopped. The torturer ordered her to be thrown into a fiery furnace, but the soldiers saw two angels and refused to fulfill the judge's command, and they themselves believed in Christ, while the others who threw her in were themselves scorched, and the Saint glorified God in the fire. The torturer condemned Euphemia to be devoured by wild beasts. The Saint, when brought to them, began to pray: "Lord of hosts! You have shown Your invincible power in me, now stop my suffering, accept my sacrifice, brought with a contrite heart and a spirit of humility, and grant rest to my soul, for You are blessed forever." While she was praying, animals, lions and bears were released upon her. But instead of attacking her, they licked her legs. Finally, one bear slightly wounded her leg. The Saint heard a voice from heaven and immediately gave up her soul to God. Suddenly, a terrible storm with an earthquake arose and everyone ran home in fear. Her parents buried her body.

September: Day 15: Teaching 1: Holy Great Martyr Niketas the Goth

Day 15: Teaching 1: 

Holy Great Martyr Niketas the Goth
 
(Sorrows Must be Borne with Magnanimity)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The now glorified Holy Great Martyr Niketas, was a Goth by birth, lived on the banks of the Danube and, having accepted the Christian faith, spread it among the Goths. At that time, there was an internecine war among the Goths. Two Goth kings, Fritigern and Athanaric, competed for power. Fritigern was a Christian, and Athanaric worshiped idols. Fritigern was defeated, fled to Greece, and, having gathered an army here, returned to the banks of the Danube. The military banners of his regiments were decorated with the sign of the cross. Having defeated Athanaric and taken the throne, Fritigern began to convert his subjects to the Christian faith. Bishop Ulfilas contributed to this matter by inventing the Gothic alphabet, and likewise Niketas by preaching and the example of a holy life.

Homily on the Sunday After the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily on the Sunday After the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord

By St. John of Kronstadt

“Whoever desires to come after, let him deny himself, 

take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34).

On this Sunday, which is called in the Church the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross, the Church prescribes that the Gospel be read about self-denial and the bearing of the cross, which the Gospel requires of everyone who wishes to follow Christ (Mark 8:34–38). And so, let us now talk about this for the glory of Christ and for our enlightenment and salvation.

"Whoever desires to come after Me," says the Lord, "let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me." The Lord does not force anyone to follow Him, but leaves it to the free will of each one - to follow or not to follow Him, whether to live for Him, for righteousness and holiness, to eternally co-reign with Him, or for oneself, for the flesh and for the indulgence of one's passions, the adulterous and sinful world and the devil, and for eternal shame and torment. The Lord leaves our free will inviolable; for He wants us to voluntarily, according to the conviction of the heart, love Him, fulfill His commandments and turn away from absurd, pernicious passions; and not as slaves, under duress and involuntarily. But how can we not follow You, sweetest Jesus, our eternal Life, our breath, our Light, our Joy and blessedness! Whoever follows You irrevocably, here too, anticipates heavenly blessedness and will certainly inherit eternal blessedness with You. This is an immutable, all-joyful truth, striking, so to speak, in everyone's eyes with its obviousness.

Homily on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

By St. John of Kronstadt

"We venerate Your Cross, O Master, 

and we glorify Your holy Resurrection" 

(Troparion to the Holy Cross).

The Cross of the Lord is being raised! How many important memories, sad, terrible and at the same time joyful, are awakened in souls at the sight of the raised Cross of Christ, at the mere sight of the Cross! On it was crucified the God-man, the only begotten Son of God, who deigned by His sufferings and death on the Cross to redeem the human race from eternal torment; it was stained with the most pure blood, one drop of which is the purification of the world! For three hundred years it was hidden in the earth, for three hundred years the Church of God, the believers in the Lord were under a terrible cross; for three hundred years the earth was flooded with the blood of Christians: they were crucified on crosses, and often head down, cut, burned, drowned with whole crowds, torn apart piece by piece. The swords blunted and the hands of the executioners weakened - so many heads, arms and legs, various members of Christian bodies had to be cut off. This is how Satan has armed himself against the Church of Christ, acquired by the blood of Christ! The shameful and terrible death of Christ on the Cross was, as it were, a forerunner and indication of the death of His faithful servants. O, terrible mystery of the Cross! O, all-destroying sin, which brought down to earth the Son of God Himself, that He became incarnate and suffered in His flesh for us! O, immutable, eternal justice of God, which demanded such a terrible sacrifice for the sins of the world! Glory to You, most righteous Master, punishing sin and having mercy on repentant sinners! And so - repentance and repentance! No one should be stagnant in a single sin! - Immediately bring ardent repentance, so that you will incline to the mercy of the merciful God and not perish in your sins!

September: Day 14: Teaching 1: Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

September: Day 14: Teaching 1: 

Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
 
(What Does It Mean To Take Up Your Cross?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Church solemnly remembers today the finding of the Honorable Cross of the Lord. This joyful event took place, as is well known, three centuries after the Resurrection of the Lord, and was accomplished by Saint Helen, the mother of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine. When this pious queen visited the places sanctified by the life and sufferings of the God-man, the Holy Spirit aroused in her heart the desire to find the cross of the Lord, which until that time, due to the troubled circumstances of the Church, oppressed by persecution, remained unknown. It was difficult for the purple-bearing seeker to make this discovery; for the Jews and pagans, not tolerating the worship of the Crucified One, tried to erase all traces of His life. The cross of the Lord, together with the crosses of those crucified with Him on Golgotha, was buried in the ground, and on that very spot the Romans later erected a temple to a pagan deity. But the zeal of the queen and Equal-to-the-Apostles overcame all difficulties. The place of the cross was found, at the direction of a certain Jew, and the temple that stood on it was destroyed. When they then began to dig up the earth, at first an indescribable fragrance was sensed; then three crosses were discovered, on one of which was an inscription, the very one that Pilate had placed on the cross of the Lord. Despite this indication, the enlightened piety of the queen sought a still more reliable sign. Saint Makarios, then Patriarch of Jerusalem, used for this such a means as only the most living faith in the Crucified One could inspire. By his command, a sick man, who was at the point of death, was brought. The Saint touched him first with one, then with another cross, but without any effect; but when he touched with the third, on which was the inscription, the sick man stood up and became completely healthy. This miracle taught everyone that this was the true cross of Him Who is the resurrection and the life. The cross thus found was transferred with triumph to the temple of Jerusalem, where the holy patriarch raised it before the people from the pulpit, so that all, both great and small, could enjoy the sight of the life-giving tree. The holy Church, rejoicing at the discovery of the divine treasure, decreed that the memory of the discovery of the cross of the Lord should be celebrated annually on this day. Such is the origin of the present celebration (Rufinus, Ecclesiastical History, Bk. 1, Ch. 7).

Church of the Holy Sepulchre Resource Page

 

Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection at Jerusalem in 335 

 

Homily on the Dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

 

On the Consecration of the Temple of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem (St. Justin Popovich) 

 

Day 13: Teaching 1: Feast of the Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

 

Is the Holy Sepulchre the Actual Tomb of Christ? 

 

The Holy Sepulchre, a 3D Journey Back in Time

 

The Prison of Christ in the Praetorium Monastery

 

The Location Where the True Cross of Christ Was Found by Saint Helen

 

The Holy Stone - A Fragment of the Stone on Which the Angel Announced the Resurrection to the Myrrhbearers  

The Miraculous Wax Holy Seal of the Holy Sepulchre

 

Regarding the Column That Was Split By the Holy Fire in 1579

 

The Torn Column and the Holy Light: Pascha 1579 AD

 

The Chapel of Saint Longinus the Centurion in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

 

Hymns and Prayer Upon Entering the Chapel of Saint Longinus at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem 

 

The Chapel of the Holy Forty Martyrs in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre   

 

The Place Where St. Mary of Egypt Repented in Jerusalem

 

Herman Melville's "The Sepulchre"

 

Mark Twain's Visit to the Holy Sepulchre  

 

A Description of Greek Orthodox Easter in Jerusalem in 1915

 

Documentary: The Guardians of the Holy Sepulchre (Greek)

 

Fr. Mitrophanes, Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre (1)

 

Fr. Mitrophanes, Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre (2)

 

Fr. Mitrophanes, Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre (3)

Church of the Holy Sepulcher Comes Alive at Night

 

The Two Muslim Custodians of the Holy Sepulchre

 

One Door and No Fire Exit at Holy Sepulchre Church  

 

Pilgrimage Rights of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

 

Did an "Open Eye" Miracle Recently Take Place at the Holy Sepulchre?

 

Feast of the Exaltation of the Honorable Cross In Jerusalem (video)

 

Pentecost Vespers At the Holy Sepulchre (video)

 

A Prayer Before the All-Holy Sepulchre 

 

Akathist to the Life-Bearing Tomb of Christ  

 

Holy Cross Resource Page

 

Holy and Great Saturday Resource Page

Holy Light of Jerusalem Resource Page

 

 

September: Day 13: Teaching 3: Holy Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion

September: Day 13: Teaching 3: 

Holy Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion
 
(Without Love For Your Neighbor You Will Not Be Saved)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The news about Saint Cornelius, now glorified in ecclesiastical hymns and readings, is reported by the Holy Evangelist Luke, who mentions him in the 10th chapter of the Book of Acts of the Apostles. He was a centurion of the regiment called the Italian; he believed in God with all his family, and pleased the Lord with his pious life and mercy to the poor. The Lord in His mercy wanted to open to good Cornelius the way to salvation, through faith in Christ, of whom Cornelius did not yet know. And then one day an angel appeared to Cornelius and said to him: “Your prayers are pleasing to God. Send men to the city of Joppa and call for Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying with a certain Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you words by which you and your whole household will be saved.” When the angel departed, Cornelius immediately sent servants and a soldier to Joppa to invite the Apostle Peter to come to Caesarea. The Apostle was living in Joppa at that time to preach the word of God. The Apostle Peter, by a miraculous vision and instruction, came to Cornelius and proclaimed to him the words of the gospel teaching - and the Holy Spirit descended on all who heard the word of God, and they began to speak in different languages, after which Cornelius and his family were baptized. Holy Scripture is silent about the further fate of Cornelius, but there is a tradition that for some time he shared the labors of the Apostle Peter, who later consecrated him as a bishop. He converted many idolaters to the truth, performed miracles by the power of God, suffered torture from the pagans for confessing his faith, and died in old age.

September: Day 13: Teaching 1: Feast of the Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

September: Day 13: Teaching 1: 

Feast of the Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
 
(The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Serves as Proof of His Divinity)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Feast of the Dedication, i.e. the Consecration, of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, which is celebrated today, was established in the following manner. The place where the Lord accomplished our salvation, i.e. Mount Golgotha, where He was crucified, and the burial cave from which He rose, were in time abandoned and even desecrated by the Jews and pagans, who hated Jesus Christ and His disciples. Thus, the Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century ordered the Lord's tomb to be filled with rubbish and earth, and erected a pagan temple on Golgotha. In exactly the same way, other places consecrated by the Savior were desecrated by pagan temples and altars. Of course, this was done in order to erase the holy places from memory; but this is what helped their discovery. When, in the 4th century, the Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena accepted the Christian faith, they wished to renew the holy places in the city of Jerusalem and to open holy places for Christians. Empress Helena with a lot of gold went to Jerusalem for this. She, with the assistance of the Jerusalem Patriarch Makarios, destroyed the idol temples and renovated Jerusalem. She found the cross of the Lord and the tomb, and on Mount Golgotha, over the places of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, she built a large and magnificent temple in honor of the Resurrection. The temple was built in ten years. In 335, on September 13, it was solemnly consecrated, and it was decided to celebrate this consecration or dedication of the temple every year.