A Homily on the Consolation of the Mother of God: On the Beneficial Effect of the Temple of God on the Soul of Man (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

A Homily on the Consolation of the Mother of God

On the Beneficial Effect of the Temple of God on the Soul of Man

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

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

Dear brothers and sisters, it is with indescribable joy and delight that we have just glorified the Intercessor of the Christian race, the Most-Blessed Virgin Mary, who was vouchsafed to be the Mother of our Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. The Most Holy Virgin Mary, as you know, was given to the Temple of God as a three-year-old Maiden, where She remained until Her maturity. In the Temple of God, under the guidance of pious priests and other righteous men and women, as well as invisible instructors – the Angels of God and the Lord Himself, She acquired those spiritual and moral qualities that made Her the Mother of the incarnate Son of God.

Homily Two for the Entrance of the Theotokos (St. John of Kronstadt)

 

By St. John of Kronstadt

Let us truly praise Mary the Child of God,
whom long ago the assembly of prophets foretold,
speaking of her as jar of manna and Aaron’s rod,
tablet of the Law and uncut mountain.
For she is led today into the Holy of Holies,
there to be brought up to the Lord. 

(Hymn Of Light, Tone 3)

Recently the Church celebrated the glorious Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary from the righteous barren parents Joachim and Anna. Mary, chosen by God from the whole human race, to be the Mother of the Son of God, as the invaluable Treasure of all virtues, as a ripe ear of life, was destined to give to the world the true bread of life - Christ.

Today we celebrate with the Church the feast of Her glorious Entrance into the Temple of God, in the holy city of Jerusalem. Before Her conception and birth, the holy parents, distressed by barrenness, praying to God for the gift of a child, made a vow to dedicate their child to Him, if one were given to them, and when such was given, they would dedicate them to God and solemnly lead them into the temple, accompanied by pure virgins, with burning lamps. The righteous priest, the elder Zechariah, the parent of the Forerunner, led the Holy Virgin into the Holy of Holies, into which no one could enter except the High Priest, where the Ark of the Covenant of God, the miraculous manna, the tablets of stone, and Aaron's rod that had sprouted were kept. Here, in the rooms arranged in the temple, she was educated under the supervision and guidance of the older virgins in literacy, the law of God, prayer and women's handicrafts. A heavenly angel brought her heavenly food and talked with her about the Creator of all that exists and His wondrous dispensation of human salvation. Her education in the temple continued until she was fourteen years old, when, according to Jewish law, it had to end, and the virgins had to leave the temple and settle in the house of their parents or relatives. So the Most Holy Virgin, at the age of fourteen, was taken to the house of her betrothed, the elder Joseph the Righteous, where the glorious Annunciation of the Archangel took place.

November: Day 21: Teaching 1: Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the Temple

 

November: Day 21: Teaching 1:
Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the Temple
 
(Spiritual Pursuits Should Not Be Neglected)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Most Holy Virgin Mary, three years after her birth, was brought into the Temple of Jerusalem, and was brought up there until the fifteenth year of her life. What did she do there? What was her way of life? The Church Fathers have preserved for us an ancient tradition, according to which it is known that the Most Holy Virgin, not averse to needlework, spent most of her time in prayer, reading sacred books, in reflection on what she had read, in spiritual conversations with the elders at the temple.

II. "What a sad occupation," another will say, "to pray, read, think, speak only of spiritual things, how monotonous and tiresome it is. And is it necessary for a man living in society?" No! Spiritual occupations are by no means boring occupations, and in vain do secular people neglect them. First of all, it should be noted that one should not judge matters and things decisively without knowing them well and truly.

The Miracle of Saint Paraskevi in Thermo on November 20th 1918

 

 

In the year 1918, a flu pandemic known as the Spanish Flu broke out throughout Europe and thus extended throughout Greece. In the area of Thermo of Central Greece, the flu pandemic was at its peak.

Every day for about three months, deaths from the flu, as confirmed by the Church’s books, amounted to up to twelve per day. The situation was tragic.

The testimonies of the people who lived through it speak of the shocking experience.

The relatives of the dead did not dare to accompany their loved ones even to their grave, because the disease was contagious.

The priests of that time testify to this. People in general were panicking in the face of the great evil. There was no way to fight it.

Their only hope was in God and Saint Paraskevi. So the priests, together with the residents, decided to bring the icon of Saint Paraskevi to Thermo and process it through the streets.

November: Day 20: Teaching 2: Venerable Gregory the Decapolite

November: Day 20: Teaching 2:
Venerable Gregory the Decapolite
 
(The Failure of Objections to Monasticism)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Gregory, whose memory is celebrated today, was a native of Decapolis in Isauria, and from childhood he loved learning and achieved a broad education, but at the same time, under the influence of a pious home education, he studied and loved the Holy Scriptures even more zealously and, already from the age of eight, piously observed the life that they prescribed. Having reached the age of maturity and avoiding married life, he left his native home and “accepted monasticism.” Without choosing a permanent refuge for himself, Gregory traveled through various countries, and since heretical teachings were widely spread at that time, he actively admonished those who were in error everywhere, confirmed the people in Orthodoxy and consoled those languishing in prison with his visits. This ascetic of holy faith and piety, died peacefully in Constantinople around 820. The Holy Church glorifies him thus: “The Church recognizes you as a bright sun, enlightening everyone with the beauty of virtues and the rays of healing, O Saint of Christ; therefore we celebrate your honorable memory and honor your deeds, all-blessed wise Father Gregory!”