September: Day 25: Teaching 3: Saint Sergius, Wonderworker of Radonezh

September: Day 25: Teaching 3:
Saint Sergius, Wonderworker of Radonezh
 
(What Shortens Our Life?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On the day of Venerable Sergius, who, through his pious life, attained a very advanced age despite the strictest abstinence and exhausting labors, let us, brethren, speak about “what shortens our life.”

II. Our life is short, my friends; yet we ourselves urge God to shorten our already short life more and more. There was only one good place on earth: Paradise. And the only life there was for us was life in Paradise. Only the life of Paradise could truly be called life. It passed amid all the joys that the human heart could desire. Adam and his helper enjoyed everything that was without sin; their bodies were beautiful, and their souls even more beautiful, because they were holy and Godlike; their hearts rested in God and in His holy will; their desires were directed only toward God, the Source of blessings, for whose gifts they offered Him thanksgiving; their consciences were pure. They were children in whom the heavenly Father was reflected. They had no one to fear, nothing to weep over; and a divine remedy had been given against old age.

Venerable Euphrosyne and Her Father Paphnutios in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

 

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. Venerable Euphrosyne lived in Alexandria when Theodosius the Younger was emperor (AD 408–450). She was the daughter of Paphnutios, a wealthy nobleman who, following the death of his wife, raised his only daughter with great love and faith in God. From a young age, the Venerable Euphrosyne desired to dedicate herself to God, but she was unable to do so because, when his daughter reached the age of eighteen, her father betrothed her to a wealthy and noble young man. Before the wedding, Euphrosyne, taking advantage of her father’s absence at a monastery known to him, cut her hair, put on men’s clothing, and wished to enter the monastic community known to her father, presenting herself as a eunuch of the king. The abbot indeed received her as a monk, giving her the name Smaragdos. From that time onward, she devoted herself to exceedingly severe ascetic struggles, surpassing almost everyone in them. For this reason, her feminine features became altered and hardened. Later, with the consent of the abbot, she withdrew to practice asceticism alone, farther away from the monastery, attaining there great heights of holiness. Her father, who was continually searching for her with great anguish, was inconsolable, while Euphrosyne, after thirty-eight years of asceticism, fell ill. At that point, the Venerable Euphrosyne wished to reveal herself to her father, knowing beforehand that her death was approaching. The revelation was deeply moving for Paphnutios, who saw his daughter at such a height of sanctification, but immediately afterward she died. From that time onward, Paphnutios wished to live as a monk in Euphrosyne’s cell, and after ten years of asceticism, he too breathed his last there.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: September 25

The Month of September

Day 25

26. What True Humility Should Consist Of

(From the Life of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh the Wonderworker)

The lack of true humility in us is most clearly revealed, for the most part, by the manifestations of our self-love and pride on particular occasions. As long as no one troubles us, we may still seem to be all right; but as soon as someone says something unfavorable about us, or even unintentionally insults us, or fails to acknowledge our supposed merits, we immediately begin to cry out: “Why are they insulting me? What have I done to deserve this? They do not understand me!” and so forth. Here, as we have said, the entire lack of true humility within us is revealed. What did the Lord say? “When they revile you... rejoice and be glad.” Therefore, if we were truly servants of Christ, and if we possessed true and genuine humility, then when faced with insults and humiliations, whether real or imagined, we would not behave as we do, but would act quite differently. But how, you may ask, should we act? Listen, and we will answer you by an example.

When, during the lifetime of Venerable Sergius, the fame of his ascetic labors had spread, a peasant from a distant region far from the monastery, having heard much about Venerable Sergius, came to his monastery and asked, “Where is the abbot?” It happened that at that very time Venerable Sergius was digging the soil in the garden and was wearing old, tattered clothing with many patches. The peasant was pointed toward Sergius, but he did not believe them, for he expected to find the Saint in great glory, and so he asked again, “Where is Venerable Sergius?” Again, they pointed out the Saint to him.

At that moment Sergius came out of the garden, and when the peasant saw him more closely, he turned his face away from the Saint and said to himself: “Why did I go to all this trouble for nothing? I came to see the great prophet about whom I had heard, and I hoped to see him in great glory and honor, but what now? Instead of him, I see only a poor and wretched old man!”

The Saint understood the peasant’s thoughts and, approaching him, began earnestly thanking him for his opinion of the abbot of the monastery. And it came to pass that, just as a proud man rejoices in the praise and honors shown to him, so the Saint, on the contrary, rejoiced in his own dishonor and humiliation.

After this, Sergius brought the peasant to himself, set a meal before him, and graciously entertained him. Then he said to him: “Do not grieve; the one whom you wished to see, you will soon see.”

As the Saint was saying this, a messenger arrived and announced to the Saint the arrival at the monastery of a certain Grand Prince, who had come with a multitude of servants. Sergius went out to meet him, and the prince bowed down to the Saint to the ground. Then the two of them sat down together and began to converse, while all those present listened to them standing.

The peasant watched the prince and the old man from a distance and wondered: “Can this really be the same old man whom I met in that tattered garment?” He asked those standing nearby about him, and they told him that this was indeed the abbot of the monastery.

Only then did the peasant understand his mistake. He began to reproach himself and said: “How could I have been so blind? And why did I not believe those who pointed out the Saint to me? And why did I not show him the honor due to him? It is just that we peasants are called ignorant! How shall I now stand before the Saint?”

When the prince had departed, the peasant fell at the Saint’s feet and began to beg for forgiveness. The Saint received him with the greatest kindness and said: “Do not grieve, child. You alone spoke the truth about me when you called me worthless. Everyone else is mistaken in thinking of me as a great man.”

“And from this,” the account adds, “it is clearly shown how great was the humility of Venerable Father Sergius, for he loved the peasant who despised him even more than the honors shown to him by the prince.”

From this example, brethren, you see that when faced with imagined or actual insults and humiliations, we should not act as we do, but somewhat differently. Namely, we should respond to such humiliations with meekness, with an awareness of our own unworthiness, and even with joy. And this is how Christians must be; for whom does the Lord call blessed? The proud? Those who are easily offended? No, only the poor in spirit, the meek, those who rejoice and are glad when they are reviled.

Therefore, if you wish to establish true humility in your souls, then, first of all, do not have a high opinion of yourselves, but consider yourselves worse than everyone else; then, never complain against your neighbors when they insult you with their words or wrong you even by their deeds; and, finally, even seek peace with those who have insulted or wronged you.

And when you begin to act in this way, only then can it be said of you that you are truly humble, and the words of the Savior can likewise be applied to you: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:3), and “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Amen.

Questions for Discussion 26:

1. What did the Saint do when he understood the peasant’s thoughts about him as a poor and wretched old man?

2. What did the Saint rejoice in?

3. What did Sergius do after bringing the peasant to himself?

4. What, according to the words of Sergius, did the peasant say when he called the Venerable worthless?

5. Who, according to the word of God, shall inherit the earth?

 

Source: The Cheti-Minei: Homilies for Every Day of the Year (Book 1: September, October, November) by Archpriest Viktor Guryev. Publication of the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, 1896. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.   

 

Synaxis of the Panagia the Myrtidiotissa in Kythera

According to tradition, the original icon of the Theotokos with Christ was discovered by a shepherd in the thirteenth century, in a valley southwest of the island of Kythera filled with myrtle trees, known as “Myrtidia.” In this icon, originally “the features of the Mother of God and Christ could be clearly distinguished down to the chest,” but “with the passage of time, however, it gradually acquired its dark color.”

It is believed that this icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke in the first century.

At the place where the icon was “found,” the poor shepherd built a small chapel and devoted the remainder of his life to its care.

After the death of the pious shepherd, the care of the small Temple of the Myrtidiotissa was undertaken by the Monk Leontios, who, with financial assistance from the people of Kythera, enlarged the original temple somewhat and built several cells around it for the accommodation of pilgrims.

However, the multitude of pilgrims arriving from various places created the need for a larger temple.

Venerable Silouan the Athonite in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. Silouan, this citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, had pious parents who came from the village of Shovskoye in Russia, which ecclesiastically belonged to the Metropolis of Tambov. He was born in 1866 and was called to repentance from his youth by the All-Hymned Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.

When he was twenty-seven years old, he abandoned all worldly concerns and, taking with him the blessing of Saint John of Kronstadt, departed for the Holy Mountain, becoming a monk at the Russian Monastery of Saint Panteleimon, the Great Martyr and Healer.

He therefore gave himself wholeheartedly to God, and for this reason, in a short time, he not only received the grace of unceasing prayer from the Most Holy Theotokos, but was also deemed worthy of an ineffable theophany in the revered Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah, which was located near the mill of the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon. By God’s permission, he was subjected to many temptations from the wicked devil for fifteen years, while at the same time striving to follow the footsteps of Christ, offering supplications and entreaties to Him who alone can save him from death, with loud cries and tears. He was taught by God and heard the voice of the Lord, the Lawgiver, saying: "Keep your mind in Hades and despair not." He kept this commandment pure as a rule throughout his entire life, and thus he followed the path of Anthony, Makarios, Sisoes, Poemen, and the other glorious teachers of the desert, acquiring their spiritual stature and gifts, and being revealed, both during his life and after his death, as an apostolic and prophetic teacher.

The Miracle of Saint Thekla for Old Man Panais of Lysi

Panais Hatzeionas was afflicted in his youth with a rash (called karfites in the Cypriot dialect) on both of his legs, causing him considerable suffering whenever he walked. He went to doctors and applied ointments, but nothing helped. One day, as he and his brother Vasilis were returning from Stavrovouni Monastery (the journey from Lysi to Stavrovouni was always made on foot) they stopped at the Sacred Monastery of Saint Thekla in Mosfiloti to venerate. There, he took mud from the holy spring of Saint Thekla and applied it to his legs. By the time they reached Lysi, the rashes had disappeared from both of his legs.

Holy Protomartyr and Equal to the Apostles Thekla in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. Saint Thekla was from the city of Iconium. Her mother was named Theokleia, and she belonged to a noble and illustrious family. She was instructed in the word of the faith by the great Apostle Paul, whom she heard teaching in the house of Onesiphoros. When she became a Christian, she was eighteen years old and had been betrothed to Thamyris. Later she scorned the fire into which they cast her, as well as her mother and her betrothed, she followed Paul. After these things, she found herself in Antioch, where, because of her faith, Alexander had her thrown among wild beasts and bulls so that they might tear her to pieces. Yet she was saved from all these things by the grace of God. Thereupon she began traveling through various cities, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, with the result that she brought many people to the Christian faith. Afterwards she returned to her homeland, where she withdrew to some of its mountains and practiced asceticism by herself. She performed many miracles for the people who visited her, until she brought her life to an end, entering into a rock that opened by the power of God for her sake. The total span of her life was ninety years.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: September 24

The Month of September

Day 24

25. Is There Any Benefit in Hearing the Word of God?

(From the Life of Holy Protomartyr Thekla)

When, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, a lectern is placed on the ambo in the church and the priest comes out to give a sermon, then ordinarily, especially in the cities, nearly a large portion of the people, and especially those who consider themselves educated, rush out of the church. And this, of course, shows that such people either do not wish to acknowledge that there is any benefit in hearing the word of God, or do not understand this at all. Yet there truly is benefit in listening to the word of God, and it is not difficult to prove this.

Holy Protomartyr Thekla was at first a pagan; she came from a noble and distinguished family and was exceptionally beautiful. When she had reached the age of eighteen, the Apostles Paul and Barnabas came to Iconium, where Thekla lived, preaching the gospel. Thekla constantly went to listen to their discourses concerning Christ, and the seed of the word of God fell upon good soil, took root in the heart of the young maiden through the action of the Holy Spirit, and brought forth fruit. Thekla believed in the Son of God and clung to Him with all her soul. Then, after her Baptism, when she heard Paul preach about virginity and chastity, she was persuaded by his preaching of the excellence of virginity and resolved in her heart to leave the world with all its pleasures and serve Christ in virginal purity until her death. Later she listened to the same Apostle while he was in prison, and the result of this listening was that Thekla became fully instructed and firmly established in faith and in ardent love for the Son of God. “Paul,” writes Saint Gregory of Nyssa, “poured the myrrh of his lips into the holy ears of the maiden, and she, for the sake of his words, put to death the outward man within herself and extinguished all vain thoughts and desires.”

Synaxarion of the Venerable Tychon the Hagiorite

Synaxarion

By Haralambos M. Bousias

On the twenty-third of this month, we commemorate of our Venerable Father Tychon, who practiced asceticism in Kapsala of the Holy Mountain.

Verses 

 

As simple and humble, Tychon,
you were deemed worthy of the glory of the Most High,
O citizen of the desert.

He had Novaya Mikhaylovka in Russia as his homeland. He was born in 1884 to pious parents, Paul and Helen, from whom he learned the Orthodox faith, piety, and love for the Lord Jesus. In the prime of his youth, he abandoned the world and, aflame with divine eros, successively withdrew to Mount Sinai, the desert of the Jordan, and the Holy Mountain. There he practiced the ascetic life in a manner pleasing to God for a total of sixty years, living at the Cell of Burazeri and in the wilderness of Karoulia and Kapsala, unceasingly glorifying the name of God.