Saint John the Hermit and the Spread of Veneration for Him During the Years of Venetian Rule in Rethymno and at the Sacred Monastery of the Savior of Koumbes

By Kostis Elias Papadakis

Your Eminence, Holy Abbot, Reverend Fathers and Sisters of the Monastery of the Savior, Ladies and Gentlemen,

My lecture, as you will already have understood from the title, consists of two parts:

a) the synaxarial, which concerns the Life and Conduct of Saint John the Hermit, and

b) the historical, which concerns the spread of the veneration and recognition of the Hermit as a Saint from the place of his ascetic struggle, the Akrotiri of Chania, to our prefecture of Rethymno and, more specifically, to the Sacred Monastery of the Savior of Christ, Koumbes.

Eight years ago I wrote my book on the Sacred Monastery of the Savior (Sacred Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior Christ, Koumbes, Rethymno, and Its Modern Founder, Nestor I. Vassalos the Dionysiatis, Rethymno 2011, p. 243), in which I demonstrated that, during the years of Venetian rule, one of the chapels of this Monastery was dedicated to Saint John the Hermit. This book of mine is the fruit of today’s lecture, through which the Monastery of the Savior is now officially introducing, with the blessings of the Church as well, the Apolytikion of this great Saint into its daily services, rediscovering once again its Renaissance roots and remembering its first Abbot at that time, Philotheos Phokas.

Holy Great Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. These Saints lived during the reign of Maximian. Sergius was a Primicerius, that is, a leader, of the school of the Kintilians, while Bacchus was a Secundicerius, that is, second in rank, of the same school. From the beginning they were initiated into the Christian faith and learned the God-inspired Scriptures well. For this reason, they were accused before the emperor as Christians, and he ordered them to offer sacrifice with him to the idols. Because of their refusal, their belts and collars were removed, and they were dressed in women’s garments. With irons on their feet, they were paraded through the center of the city for mockery and insult, and afterward they were led to the governor Antiochus, in the city of Euphratesia. As they approached, an angel appeared to them and filled them with strength and courage. Bacchus, after being beaten for a long time with raw sinews, gave up his spirit amid these tortures, while Sergius, after being interrogated in various ways, had his feet fastened in iron sandals. After being forced to run for a long time, he was then shut up in prison, and again had his feet fastened in the same sandals, until finally his head was cut off with a sword.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 7

The Month of October

Day 7

38. Angels Encourage and Strengthen Us in Times of Suffering

(From the Life of the Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus)

It is known that the good Angels, fulfilling the will of God, bestow many benefits upon us human beings. Thus, they care for our salvation, inspire us with good thoughts and desires, turn us away from evil deeds and intentions, protect us from the attacks of evil spirits, carry our prayers before the throne of God, and, finally, intercede for us before God. But what do you think, brethren, have we listed all the benefits that the good Angels bestow upon us? No, you must learn of yet another, and the greatest, benefit that the good Angels render to us. And this benefit consists in the fact that the Angels do not abandon us even during sufferings, whenever we are called upon to endure them, but during them they comfort, encourage, and strengthen us.

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.