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| St. Boukolos of Smyrna (Feast Day - February 6) |
By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas
Saint Boukolos was ordained Bishop and established in Smyrna by Saint John the Theologian and Evangelist, who had the care and guardianship of the Churches of Asia Minor. Therefore, he is an Apostolic Father of the Church and is honored as the first Bishop of Smyrna. He had godly zeal and a martyr's spirit and served the people of God with great self-denial and sacrificial love. He fought against the heresies that corrupted the faith, but he loved people, because what he wanted was the preservation of the unadulterated faith, but also the salvation of heretics, as well as idolaters, through repentance. And as the sacred Synaxarist notes, this revered Hierarch treated the idolaters with cheerfulness, love, discernment, approachability and kindness. He was careful not to irritate them, because what he wanted was to attract them to the faith, and, indeed, with his behavior and his bright example he attracted many.
Before his death, he chose and ordained the Holy Hieromartyr Polycarp as his successor.
He reposed in peace.
It is worth noting that the Church of Saint Boukolos in Smyrna was saved from the devastating fire of 1922, because it was surrounded by a densely built-up residential area. It was then initially used as a warehouse, later as a concert hall, then as an archaeological museum and finally as a place to store antiquities. In 2011, it was restored and iconography were revealed in the interior of the church. And in 2014, 92 years after the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated again in this Sacred Temple.
His life and his conduct give us the occasion to emphasize the following:
First, communicating with others is not always something simple and easy, because, usually, human passions are at work, which rise like a wall between people and prevent them from understanding each other. In fact, sometimes communication between people becomes difficult or impossible, due to their different perceptions of various issues, but also because each person gives a different meaning to some words and terms. That is why many times one person says one thing and the other understands another. In any case, when one talks to others - even if one experiences difficulty in understanding or disagrees with their views, their behavior and their way of life - one should do so with respect, courtesy and humor. Likewise, when he wants to help some of his fellow human beings who are in need, he should do so with discernment, without upsetting them or putting them in a difficult position.
The clergyman, within the framework of his pastoral ministry, should be very careful in his communication with others, especially when it comes to people who have a different understanding of matters of faith, but also a different way of life. He should exercise his ministry, as Saint Seraphim of Sarov says, mainly with love, the intensity of prayer, and his luminous example. After all, preaching, according to Saint Silouan the Athonite, “must always come from love; then both the one who preaches and the one who hears it will benefit.” “If you rebuke people," Saint Silouan said to a certain Archimandrite who was working as a missionary among the heterodox, “then the soul of the people will not listen to you and no benefit will come.” Saint Silouan adhered to this in his life, that is, he never came into conflict with his interlocutor. For this reason, as his biographer, Saint Sophrony the Athonite, notes, when someone disagreed with his words, Saint Silouan did not try to persuade him “so as not to offend what is sacred to him, but remained silent,” because he believed that “salvation lies in humility according to Christ.” And “because of this humility, he wanted with all his soul to understand every person in the best way,” since “in every person, he subtly sensed the presence of a living soul, capable of loving Christ.”
When someone is treated rudely, aggressively and harshly by their interlocutor, they either withdraw into themselves or counterattack. And in this case, inevitably, a conflict occurs, and results are caused that are completely opposite to those expected. A popular proverb says that “bread is better eaten with honey than with vinegar.” And, as it becomes clear, these words imply love, gentleness, kindness and polite behavior towards all people without exception, and towards those who are familiar, because in no case does familiarity abolish politeness and respect.
Second, the ancient Greeks said that “like is always drawn to like” (ὅμοιος ὁμοίῳ ἀεί πελάζει - Plato, Symposium) meaning that like always associates with like. This is natural, and we see it being verified continuously in all eras, including ours. This saying is similar to what we say today, “tell me who you hang out with and I will tell you who you are.” In other words, when one sees a person’s way of life and behavior, then one can understand their friends, or when one sees their friends, then one truly understands who they are. In this perspective, when one meets a saint, one can understand that behind him is another saint who helped him spiritually and raised him up, and that after him others will follow. Of course, there are always exceptions, which, however, confirm the rule. And the rule that is confirmed is the saying of Christ Himself, that “every good tree bears good fruit, but a rotten tree bears bad fruit.” And that “a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.” And we see this word applied precisely to the life of Saint Boukolos, who was ordained by Saint John the Apostle, Evangelist and Theologian, and who, in turn, ordained the Holy Hieromartyr Polycarp.
Communion with the saints and with those who struggle to achieve their personal sanctification increases love for God and people. It also creates inspiration for a greater spiritual struggle, but also zeal for the transmission of the Orthodox faith, with “cheerfulness, love, discernment, approachability, kindness and, above all, with a luminous example.”
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Before his death, he chose and ordained the Holy Hieromartyr Polycarp as his successor.
He reposed in peace.
It is worth noting that the Church of Saint Boukolos in Smyrna was saved from the devastating fire of 1922, because it was surrounded by a densely built-up residential area. It was then initially used as a warehouse, later as a concert hall, then as an archaeological museum and finally as a place to store antiquities. In 2011, it was restored and iconography were revealed in the interior of the church. And in 2014, 92 years after the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated again in this Sacred Temple.
His life and his conduct give us the occasion to emphasize the following:
First, communicating with others is not always something simple and easy, because, usually, human passions are at work, which rise like a wall between people and prevent them from understanding each other. In fact, sometimes communication between people becomes difficult or impossible, due to their different perceptions of various issues, but also because each person gives a different meaning to some words and terms. That is why many times one person says one thing and the other understands another. In any case, when one talks to others - even if one experiences difficulty in understanding or disagrees with their views, their behavior and their way of life - one should do so with respect, courtesy and humor. Likewise, when he wants to help some of his fellow human beings who are in need, he should do so with discernment, without upsetting them or putting them in a difficult position.
The clergyman, within the framework of his pastoral ministry, should be very careful in his communication with others, especially when it comes to people who have a different understanding of matters of faith, but also a different way of life. He should exercise his ministry, as Saint Seraphim of Sarov says, mainly with love, the intensity of prayer, and his luminous example. After all, preaching, according to Saint Silouan the Athonite, “must always come from love; then both the one who preaches and the one who hears it will benefit.” “If you rebuke people," Saint Silouan said to a certain Archimandrite who was working as a missionary among the heterodox, “then the soul of the people will not listen to you and no benefit will come.” Saint Silouan adhered to this in his life, that is, he never came into conflict with his interlocutor. For this reason, as his biographer, Saint Sophrony the Athonite, notes, when someone disagreed with his words, Saint Silouan did not try to persuade him “so as not to offend what is sacred to him, but remained silent,” because he believed that “salvation lies in humility according to Christ.” And “because of this humility, he wanted with all his soul to understand every person in the best way,” since “in every person, he subtly sensed the presence of a living soul, capable of loving Christ.”
When someone is treated rudely, aggressively and harshly by their interlocutor, they either withdraw into themselves or counterattack. And in this case, inevitably, a conflict occurs, and results are caused that are completely opposite to those expected. A popular proverb says that “bread is better eaten with honey than with vinegar.” And, as it becomes clear, these words imply love, gentleness, kindness and polite behavior towards all people without exception, and towards those who are familiar, because in no case does familiarity abolish politeness and respect.
Second, the ancient Greeks said that “like is always drawn to like” (ὅμοιος ὁμοίῳ ἀεί πελάζει - Plato, Symposium) meaning that like always associates with like. This is natural, and we see it being verified continuously in all eras, including ours. This saying is similar to what we say today, “tell me who you hang out with and I will tell you who you are.” In other words, when one sees a person’s way of life and behavior, then one can understand their friends, or when one sees their friends, then one truly understands who they are. In this perspective, when one meets a saint, one can understand that behind him is another saint who helped him spiritually and raised him up, and that after him others will follow. Of course, there are always exceptions, which, however, confirm the rule. And the rule that is confirmed is the saying of Christ Himself, that “every good tree bears good fruit, but a rotten tree bears bad fruit.” And that “a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.” And we see this word applied precisely to the life of Saint Boukolos, who was ordained by Saint John the Apostle, Evangelist and Theologian, and who, in turn, ordained the Holy Hieromartyr Polycarp.
Communion with the saints and with those who struggle to achieve their personal sanctification increases love for God and people. It also creates inspiration for a greater spiritual struggle, but also zeal for the transmission of the Orthodox faith, with “cheerfulness, love, discernment, approachability, kindness and, above all, with a luminous example.”
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
