Encomium to our Venerable and God-bearing Father Symeon the New Theologian (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite) - 3 of 5

...continue from part two.

23. The FOURTH degree of those who are being saved is to become a son of God by grace, as we have said. Venerable Symeon certainly attained this degree for two reasons.

a) He had the grace of the Holy Spirit perceptibly at work within his heart, and he was guided and governed not by the spirit of the flesh and the world, but by the Holy Spirit. This is clearer than the sun itself. Indeed, scarcely a single word, or rather, scarcely a page or passage in his writings, can be found that does not confirm this truth. Since, as Paul says, those who are guided by the Holy Spirit are sons of God—“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14)—Saint Symeon, too, was therefore a son of God by grace.

b) It is characteristic of sons to remain always in their father's house, whereas slaves, by contrast, do not remain there forever, as the Lord said: “The slave does not remain in the house, but the son remains forever” (John 8:35). Even during his temporal life, the divine Symeon remained in the house of God the Father, observing every commandment of his heavenly Father and fulfilling all His paternal wishes and commandments. By doing so, he became worthy of remaining forever in the Father's dwelling. After his death, he became the true heir of that same paternal house and of the Kingdom of Heaven, as a most genuine son, according to Paul's words: “And if children, then heirs” (Romans 8:17).

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 16

The Month of October

Day 16

47. A Second Instruction to Mothers Who Have Lost Their Children

(From the Life of Saint Longinus the Centurion)

Not long ago (see Instruction 40), we spoke with you, mothers who have suffered the misfortune of losing one or another of your children. Drawing upon the Life of Venerable Athanasia (October 9), we sought to offer you consolation in your great sorrow. Now, in the Life of Saint Longinus the Centurion, we have found yet another source of consolation for you, which we hasten to bring to your attention.

There was a certain woman, a widow who had lost her sight and hoped, through her faith, to regain it. She set out with her only son to pray in Jerusalem. Her son led her to the holy places, but there he soon fell ill and died. Who could describe the grief of this poor widow, deprived of her sight and now bereft of her only son! But God soon consoled her. Saint Longinus the Centurion appeared to her in a dream and instructed her to seek his head at a certain place outside Jerusalem. He promised to restore her sight and console her over the loss of her son. When she awoke, the widow, guided by those accompanying her, went to the place indicated by the martyr. There she soon found the precious head of Longinus and immediately regained her sight.

Holy Hieromartyr Lucian the Presbyter of Antioch in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. Saint Lucian was the son of devout parents. After their death, he distributed all his possessions among the poor and devoted himself to studying the divine Scriptures. In this way, he also converted many Jews and pagans to faith in Christ. He left his own city, however, and went to Nicomedia to strengthen those who, out of fear of martyrdom, were abandoning the faith and to encourage them to persevere in their struggles for martyrdom. Being highly skilled in calligraphy, he left the Church of Nicomedia a book in which he had transcribed the entire Old and New Testaments, arranging the text in three columns on each page. Indeed, he so far transcended the limits of human nature that, when he went into the city, he was visible to some people and invisible to others. The emperor Maximian heard about him and, fearing to meet him face-to-face, spoke with him from behind a curtain. When, however, he recognized Lucian’s steadfastness in the faith of Christ, he condemned him to prolonged starvation. After going many days without eating or drinking anything, Lucian died in prison. The governor then ordered his body to be cast into the sea. At God’s command, a dolphin recovered it and carried it ashore on its back.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 15

The Month of October

Day 15

46. To Those Who Violate the Fasts

(From the Life of the Venerable Martyr Lucian the Presbyter)

We all know that we must observe the fasts, yet we often fail to do so. Especially in recent times, many people do not even want to know about them; they eat whatever happens to be available and think nothing of it. In reality, however, this is by no means a trivial matter, for the book of ecclesiastical rules known as the Nomocanon states, for example: “He who eats meat or cheese during Great Lent, or on Wednesday or Friday, shall not receive Communion for two years” (Small Euchologion, Rule 85). It follows, therefore, that we bear a grave responsibility before God for violating the fasts and must consequently observe them strictly. But how can those who have almost entirely grown unaccustomed to fasting and have completely forgotten about it learn to observe the fasts? Know this, then, brethren who have grown unaccustomed to fasting: we have found a very powerful means of making you remember the fasts and observe them. If you will, we shall now bring this means to your attention.

A Beneficial Account of the Miraculous Deliverance Accomplished on the Island of Chios by the Venerable Martyr Paraskevi (St. Athanasios Parios)

We celebrate on the 14th of this month [October] the commemoration of the wondrous miracle performed on the island of Chios by the Holy Venerable Martyr and Victorious Athlete of Christ Paraskevi, in the year 1442 after Christ.

Verses

Paraskevi of old saved Chios 
From submersion through her intercession before Christ.

Paraskevi displayed a great miracle,
Saving Chios from the onrush of the sea.

A Beneficial Account of the Miraculous Deliverance Accomplished on the Island of Chios by the Holy and Glorious Venerable Martyr Paraskevi, Who Checked the Onrush of the Sea and Turned It Back

By St. Athanasios Parios

It has been an ancient custom, originating in a commandment of God, to record the wondrous works of God for the benefit and instruction of those who come after us. Thus, we read in Holy Scripture how God commanded Moses, Joshua the son of Nun, and the other Prophets to write down the awesome and mighty wonders that He performed at that time, so that people might learn that there is a God in heaven who, by His almighty power, accomplishes such fearful and extraordinary works, and might thereby learn to fear Him and not disobey His divine commandments.

Encomium to our Venerable and God-bearing Father Symeon the New Theologian (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite) - 2 of 5

...continued from part one.

11. Secondly, we find that the divine Symeon attained the rank of the hired servants. For, just as those laborers who were hired by the Lord to work in the vineyard of His commandments bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat without complaint, in the hope of receiving their wages in the evening, as the parable in the Gospel according to Matthew declares (Matthew 20:1–16), so, too, did the venerable Symeon endure with great thanksgiving all the temptations and afflictions that befell him, whether from demons, from human beings, or from his own corrupted nature. For he hoped that, when evening came—that is, at the end of his life—he would receive from the Lord who had hired him a reward for his labor and toil multiplied many times over, indeed ten thousandfold, in the heavens. “When evening had come,” says the Lord of the vineyard to His steward, “call the laborers and pay them their wages” (Matthew 20:8).

And if Moses, in view of the reward that was to come, preferred the reproach of Christ to the royal treasures of Egypt, as Paul says, “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:26), then, in like manner, the divine Symeon, in view of the recompense of the good things to come, preferred poverty to wealth, the humble habit of the monks to the rank of a spatharokoubikoularios, the company and conversation of his ragged elder to the company of emperors clothed in splendor, poor huts to imperial palaces, and humble legumes to the sumptuous dishes of the senators.⁶

Saint Kosmas the Poet, Bishop of Maiuma, in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. Saint Kosmas (685–c. 750 AD), who was probably born in Damascus, was orphaned at an early age and adopted by Sergius, the father of Saint John of Damascus. Sergius was wealthy and held a prominent position in public life as the financial administrator of the Arab caliph. Seeing that both boys had a natural inclination toward learning, Sergius engaged a highly learned and wise man, also named Kosmas, who came from Calabria, to teach them every branch of knowledge, both divine and human. Indeed, within a very short time, the two young men, John and Kosmas, learned grammar and philosophy, astronomy and geometry, as well as poetry and music, under their teacher Kosmas, and they became respected by all. Anyone wishing to understand the extent of their excellence in every field need only examine the writings they produced. After completing their studies, they went to the Lavra of Saint Savvas and became monks. The blessed John was ordained a presbyter by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, while the venerable Kosmas, after being earnestly entreated by the entire Synod of Bishops, was appointed Bishop of the city of Maiuma. Having conducted himself well and guided his flock along the saving paths of the faith, he reached an advanced age and then reposed in the Lord.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 14

The Month of October

Day 14

45. To Young Monks on Diligence in Their Work

(From the Life of Saint Nicholas Sviatosha)

To all of you young monks, your abbot or the older monks assign various obediences. How do you carry them out? We know that some of you fulfill them with patience and humility, laboring day and night. Others, however, do the opposite: they scarcely fulfill their obediences at all, remain idle, and, worst of all, give no rest to others either. They complain about the abbot, protest that the labors assigned to them are supposedly too burdensome, grumble, and cause many to stumble.

What can be said to such men for their instruction? How can they be turned away from idleness? How can they be trained in labor, humility, and patience? Let us say this: First, let lazy monks understand that if idleness is harmful in every station of life, it is altogether destructive for a monk. Second, let them remember that a young monk who wishes to be saved must completely renounce his own will and submit it without complaining to the will of his elders, who are experienced in the spiritual life. Third, in order to acquire the habit of diligence in labor and unconditional obedience, let lazy monks finally learn how the holy monks, who were a thousand times better than they, labored and how they regarded their own obediences.

The Iveron Icon of Moscow: From the Resurrection Gate to the Mystery of Its Fate

 

Among the most beloved icons of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Russian Orthodox Church is the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, venerated for centuries in a chapel beside the Resurrection Gates of Moscow, near Red Square. Known in Russian as the “Iverskaya,” the icon is associated with the celebrated Athonite image of the Mother of God called the “Portaitissa,” or “Gatekeeper,” which is kept at the Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos.

For generations, the Moscow icon was one of the capital’s principal objects of popular devotion. People from every walk of life came before it to pray, give thanks, and seek the intercession of the Mother of God. The chapel became a spiritual landmark of Moscow, and the icon’s reputation for miracles spread throughout Russia.

The history of this sacred image encompasses the spiritual relationship between Russia and the Holy Mountain, the religious life of imperial Moscow, the persecution of the Church under the Soviet regime, and the restoration of Orthodox life after the fall of Communism. It also includes a historical question that remains unresolved: what became of the celebrated icon that stood in the original Moscow chapel, and does that very image still survive?