[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Sat Sep 8 05:00:22 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sat Sep 8 2007

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Genesis 28:10-17  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.
11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because
the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put
it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.
12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and
its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending
and descending on it.
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: I am the Lord God of
Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I
will give to you and your descendants.
14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall
spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south;
and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be
blessed.
15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will
bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have
done what I have spoken to you.
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in
this place, and I did not know it.
17 And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place! This is none
other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!
Scripture Reading 1 of 6

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Ezekiel 43:27-44:4  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
27 When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and
thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your
peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you, says the Lord
God.
1 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which
faces toward the east, but it was shut.
2 And the Lord said to me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be
opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel
has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.
3 As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat
bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the
gateway, and go out the same way.
4 Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the
temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the
house of the Lord; and I fell on my face.
Scripture Reading 2 of 6

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Proverbs 9:1-11  (Vespers, 3rd Reading)
1 Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also
furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places
of the city,
4 Whoever is simple, let him turn in here! As for him who lacks
understanding, she says to him,
5 Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.
7 He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes
a wicked man only harms himself.
8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a
just man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge
of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be
added to you.
Scripture Reading 3 of 6

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Luke 1:39-49, 56  (Matins Gospel)
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with
haste, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that
the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit.
42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me?
44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my
ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of
those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold,
henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His
name.
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her
house.
Scripture Reading 4 of 6

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Philippians 2:5-11  (Epistle, Theotokos)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be
equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant,
and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name
which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in
heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.
Scripture Reading 5 of 6

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Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28  (Gospel, Theotokos)
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and
a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and
heard His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him
and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve
alone? Therefore tell her to help me."
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are
worried and troubled about many things.
42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which
will not be taken away from her.
27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman
from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb
that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"
28 But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word
of God and keep it!"
Scripture Reading 6 of 6

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The Nativity of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and
Ever-Virgin Mary
The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary: The
Most Holy Virgin Mary was born at a time when people had reached such
a degree of moral decay that it seemed altogether impossible to
restore them. People often said that God must come into the world to
restore faith and not permit the ruin of mankind.
The Son of God chose to take on human nature for the salvation of
mankind, and chose as His Mother the All-Pure Virgin Mary, who alone
was worthy to give birth to the Source of purity and holiness.
The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary is
celebrated by the Church as a day of universal joy. Within the context
of the Old and the New Testaments, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was
born on this radiant day, having been chosen before the ages by Divine
Providence to bring about the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Word
of God. She is revealed as the Mother of the Savior of the World, Our
Lord Jesus Christ.
The Most Holy Virgin Mary was born in the small city of Galilee,
Nazareth. Her parents were Righteous Joachim of the tribe of the
Prophet-King David, and Anna from the tribe of the First Priest Aaron.
The couple was without child, since St Anna was barren.
Having reached old age, Joachim and Anna did not lose hope in God's
mercy. They had strong faith that for God everything is possible, and
that He would be able to overcome the barrenness of Anna even in her
old age, as He had once overcame the barrenness of Sarah, spouse of
the Patriarch Abraham. Sts Joachim and Anna vowed to dedicate the
child which the Lord might give them, to the service of God in the
Temple.
Childlessness was considered among the Hebrew nation as a Divine
punishment for sin, and therefore the righteous Sts Joachim and Anna
had to endure abuse from their own countrymen. On one of the feastdays
at the Temple in Jerusalem the elderly Joachim brought his sacrifice
to offer to God, but the High Priest would not accept it, considering
him to be unworthy since he was childless.
St Joachim in deep grief went into the wilderness, and there he prayed
with tears to the Lord for a child. St Anna wept bitterly when she
learned what had happened at the Jerusalem Temple. Never once did she
complain against the Lord, but rather she prayed to ask God's mercy on
her family.
The Lord fulfilled her petitions when the pious couple had attained to
extreme old age and prepared themselves by virtuous life for a sublime
calling: to be the parents of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the future
Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Archangel Gabriel brought Joachim and Anna the joyous message that
their prayers were heard by God, and of them would be born a most
blessed daughter Mary, through Whom would come the Salvation of all
the World.
The Most Holy Virgin Mary surpassed in purity and virtue not only all
mankind, but also the angels. She was manifest as the living Temple of
God, so the Church sings in its festal hymns: "the East Gate...
bringing Christ into the world for the salvation of our souls" (2nd
Stikhera on "Lord, I Have Cried", Tone 6).
The Nativity of the Theotokos marks the change of the times when the
great and comforting promises of God for the salvation of the human
race from slavery to the devil are about to be fulfilled. This event
has brought to earth the grace of the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of
Truth, piety, virtue and everlasting life. The Theotokos is revealed
to all of us by grace as a merciful Intercessor and Mother, to Whom we
have recourse with filial devotion.
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Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign", the "Kursk-Root"
The Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "Of the Sign" is one of the
most ancient icons of the Russian Church. In the thirteenth century
during the Tatar invasion, when all the Russian realm was put to the
extremest tribulation, the city of Kursk, ravaged by the Horde of
Batu, fell into desolation.
One day in the environs of the city a hunter noticed the ancient icon,
lying on a root face downwards to the ground. The hunter lifted it and
saw that the image of the icon was similar to the Novgorod "Znamenie"
Icon. With the appearance of this icon immediately there appeared its
first miracle. Just as the hunter lifted up the holy icon from the
earth, right then, at that place where the icon lay, gushed up
strongly a spring of pure water. This occurred on September 8, 1259.
The hunter decided not to leave the icon in the forest and settled on
as a resting place an ancient small chapel, in which he put the
newly-appeared image of the Theotokos. Soon inhabitants of the city of
Ryl'a heard about this, and being in location not far away, they began
to visit the place of the appearance for venerating the new holy
image.
They transferred the icon to Ryl'a and put it in a new church in honor
of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. But the icon did not long
remain there. It disappeared and returned to its former place of
appearance. The inhabitants of Ryl'a repeatedly took it and carried it
to the city, but the icon incomprehensibly returned to its former
place. Everyone then realized, that the Theotokos preferred the place
of appearance of Her Icon. The special help granted by the Mother of
God through this icon is bound up with important events in Russian
history: with the war of liberation of the Russian nation during the
Polish-Lithuanian incursion in 1612, and the 1812 Fatherland war. From
the icon several copies were made, which also were glorified.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Pochaev
The Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is in the Pochaev monastery. Two
monks settled on the hill where the monastery is now located in the
year 1340. One of the monks went to the top of the hill after he had
prayed, and suddenly he saw the Theotokos standing on a stone and
encircled by flame. He summoned the other monk to behold the marvel. A
third witness of the vision was the herdsman Ioann Bosoi. He ran to
the hill, and the three of them glorified God. The Most Holy Theotokos
left the imprint of Her right foot on the stone where She had stood.
In 1559 Metropolitan Neophytus of Constantinople, on his journey
through Volhynia, visited the noblewoman Anna Goiskaya living at the
estate of Orlya, not far from Pochaev. As a farewell blessing he left
Anna an icon of the Mother of God which he brought from
Constantinople. They began to notice a radiance coming from the icon.
In 1597 Anna's brother Philip was healed of an ailment before the eyes
of a monk who lived on the hill at Pochaev. She then gave the
wonderworking image to the monk. The icon was placed in a church which
was built in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. A
monastery was later established there, and Anna Goiskaya provided a
large portion of the money needed for construction.
The following is one of the more famous accounts of help from the
Queen of Heaven through her wonderworking Pochaev Icon.
A monk of Pochaev monastery was taken into captivity by the Tatars.
Held as a slave, he thought of the Pochaev monastery, its holy things,
the divine services, and the church singing. In particular the monk
yearned to be in Pochaev for the approaching Feast of the Dormition of
the Most Holy Theotokos. He prayed tearfully to the Mother of God for
deliverance from captivity, and suddenly, through the prayers of the
Holy Virgin, the walls of the dungeon disappeared, and the monk found
himself standing before the walls of the Pochaev monastery.
The Pochaev Icon is also celebrated on Friday of Bright Week and on
July 23.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Kholm
The Kholm Icon of the Mother of God, by a tradition transmitted
through Bishop James the Emaciated, was painted by the Evangelist
Luke. It was brought from Greece to Russia in the time of St Vladimir,
who after Baptism received many icons as a gift from Constantinople.
The Kholm image of the Mother of God is rendered on a board of cypress
wood. In the year 1261 at the time of an invasion of the Tatar
(Mongol) Horde, the city of Kholm was pillaged, and the icon of the
Theotokos also suffered: the jeweled frame was taken, the painting
damaged and the icon itself thrown down. After an hundred years the
holy icon was relocated and solemnly placed in the Kholm cathedral. On
the icon there remain two deep gashes: one on the left shoulder of the
Theotokos, the other on Her right hand. There is a tradition that the
invading Tatars were punished after they plundered and damaged the
holy icon. They lost their sight, and their faces became distorted.
Accounts of the miraculous signs worked by the Kholm Icon of the
Mother of God, are recorded in a book by Archimandrite Joannicius
(Golyatovsky) entitled THE NEW HEAVEN.
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Icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of God
The Icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of God (Kiev), occupies an unique place
in the Russian Orthodox Church. On the icon is depicted the Theotokos,
and the Hypostatic Wisdom, the Son of God incarnate of Her.
In Wisdom or Sophia, ponders the Son of God, about Whom in the
Proverbs of Solomon it says: "Wisdom has built a house for herself,
and has set up seven pillars" (9:1). These words refer to Christ, the
Son of God, Who in the Epistles of St Paul is called "Wisdom of God"
(1 Cor.1:30), and the word "house" refers to the Most Holy Virgin
Mary, of Whom the Son of God is incarnate.
The arrangement of the icon bears witness to the fulfillment of this
prophecy. On the Kiev icon of Sophia is a church, and standing there
is the Mother of God in a robe with a veil on her head, under an
archway of seven pillars. The palms of Her hands are outstretched, and
her feet are set upon a crescent moon. The Theotokos holds the
Pre-eternal Christ Child, blessing with Her right hand, and holding
the Infant with Her left.
On the cornice of the entrance are inscribed the words from the Book
of Proverbs: "Wisdom has built a house for herself, and has set up
seven pillars." Over the entrance are depicted God the Father and God
the Holy Spirit. From the mouth of God the Father issues the words: "I
am affirmation of Her footsteps."
Along both sides the seven Archangels are depicted with outstretched
wings, holding in their hands symbols of their duties. On the right
side: Michael with flaming sword; Uriel with a lightning flash hurling
downwards; Raphael with alabaster vessel of myrrh. On the left side:
Gabriel with a lily blossom; Selaphiel with a scale; Jerudiel with
royal crown; and Barachiel with flowers on a white shawl.
Under a cloud with the crescent moon, serving as a footrest for the
Mother of God, is a staircase with seven steps (depicting the Church
of God on earth). Those standing on the seven steps are the Old
Testament witnesses of the manifestation of Wisdom, the Forefathers
and the Prophets.
On each of the seven steps are inscribed: faith, hope, love, purity,
humility, blessedness, glory. The seven steps of the staircase are set
upon the seven pillars, on which images are inscribed, and their
explanation taken from the Apocalypse.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Syamsk
The Syamsk Icon of the Mother of God was found at the Syamsk-Vologda
monastery, established in the sixteenth century. In the year 1542,
during a fire at the monastery, only the wonderworking icon was saved.
After the fire, the monastery was rebuilt.
In the year 1770, a church was built at the monastery in honor of the
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, and in it was placed this
wonderworking icon.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Glinsk
The Glinsk Icon of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos appeared in
the seventeenth century in the Glinsk wilderness of the Kursk region.
A monastery was established in 1648 and received its name from the
noble Glinsky family.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Domnitsa
The Domnitsa Icon of the Mother of God appeared in the year 1696 on
the bank of the Domnitsa River in Chernigov diocese, not far from the
city of Berezna. At the place of appearance of the icon a monastery
was established, in which was situated the wonderworking image. In the
year 1771 the inhabitants of the city prayed before the holy icon and
were delivered from plague through the intercession of the Theotokos.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Isaakov
The Isaakov Icon of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos appeared
in the year 1659, not far from the village of Isaakievo. The peasants
wanted to take the icon to their own village, but they were not able.
They then turned to the priest, and he got vested, and in the company
of choir and people with church banners, went to the place of the
appearance of the icon of the Mother of God.
In the branches of a willow tree was the icon, radiating an
extraordinary light like the sun. After the singing of a Molieben the
priest reverently took the icon with the tree branch and carried it to
the Isaakievo village into the parish church.
On the following day the icon was not in the church. It was at the
place where it was first found. At this place of the appearance of the
wonderworking icon they built a chapel, around which a skete was
formed.
With the blessing of St Jonah, Metropolitan of Yaroslavl and Rostov,
at the place of the chapel there was built in 1662 a wooden church in
honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. In the year 1758 a
stone church was built in place of the wooden, into which they
transferred this icon.
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Icon of the Mother of God of Lukianov
The Lukianov Icon of the Nativity of the Theotokos is from a church in
honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in the village of
Ignatiev. In 1594, it appeared three times in the wilderness area of
Pokovitino-Ramen'e, not far from the village.
The priest Gregory, after he consulted with his parishioners,
petitioned the blessing of Patriarch Job to transfer the church to the
place of the appearance of the icon. The priest was also resettled
with the transferred church.
During a Polish-Lithuanian invasion the church was looted. In the year
1640, the Monk Lukian arrived in Ramen'e from an Uglich monastery and
found in the neglected church two icons which remained unharmed: the
temple icon of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, and an Altar
icon: the Smolensk Mother of God. A new church was built at the
Lukianov monastery in honor of the appearance of the two wonderworking
icons.
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Icon of the Mother of God "Kathariotissa"
This wonderworking icon depicting the Nativity of the Theotokos is
venerated on the Greek island of Ithaca.
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St George (John) of Georgia
Archimandrite John (Basil Maisuradze in the world) was born in the
town of Tskhinvali in Samachablo around 1882. He was raised in a
peasant family and taught to perform all kinds of handiwork. Basil was
barely in his teens when he helped Fr. Spiridon (Ketiladze), the main
priest at Betania Monastery, to restore the monastery between 1894 and
1896.
>From his youth Basil was eager to enter the monastic life, and in
1903, according to Gods will, he moved to the Skete of St. John the
Theologian at Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos. Among the brothers he was
distinguished for his simplicity and obedience. He was tonsured a monk
and named John in honor of St. John the Theologian, whom he revered
deeply and sought to emulate.
The monk John was soon ordained to the priesthood. Throughout his life
the holy father dedicated himself to serving God and his brothers in
Christ in hopes that his own life might be fruitful for them.
Fr. John remained on Mt. Athos for seventeen years. Then, due to the
increasingly troubling circumstances there, he left the Holy Mountain
with the other Georgian monks sometime between 1920 and 1921. He
settled at Armazi Monastery outside of Mtskheta, where the Bolsheviks
had left just one monk to labor in solitude. Once a band of armed
Chekists broke into the monastery, led both Fr. John and the other
monk away, and shot them in the back.
Believing them to be dead, they tossed them in a nearby gorge. A group
of people later discovered Fr. Johns nearly lifeless body and brought
it to Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta. The other monk suffered only
minor injuries and returned to the monastery on his own.
When his health had been restored, Fr. John went to Betania Monastery,
where his first spiritual father was still laboring. He was appointed
abbot shortly thereafter. Accustomed to hard work from his childhood,
he skillfully administered the agricultural labors of the monastery.
When visitors came to the monastery seeking advice or solace, Fr. John
welcomed them warmly, spreading a festal meal before them. He enjoyed
spending time with his guests, especially with children.
It is said that he always had candy or a special treat to give to the
little ones. The children loved him so much that on the feast of St.
John the Theologian, while he was sprinkling the church with holy
water, they skipped around him and tried to tousle his hair. The
childrens parents were ashamed, but Fr. John cheerfully assured them
that it was fitting to be so joyous on a feast day.
Truly Fr. John was endowed with a deep love for young people, and he
was also blessed with the divine gifts of prophecy and wonder-working.
Once a certain Irakli Ghudushauri, a student at Moscow Theological
Seminary, visited him at the monastery. Fr. John received him with
exceptional warmth, blessing him with tears of rejoicing. This student
would later become Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, the beloved shepherd
who continues to lead the flock of the Georgian faithful to this very
day.
Fr. John disciplined himself severely. He worked hard all day and
slept on a single piece of wood. He would spend entire nights praying.
Many wondered when he rested and where he had acquired such a
seemingly infinite supply of energy.
Occasionally thieves would steal food or domestic animals from the
monastery. But the monastery also had many protectors, even within the
Soviet government. A group of Christians who worked for the government
while secretly practicing their faith supported Fr. John and Fr.
George (Mkheidze) (see below), explaining and justifying them to the
government as guardians of a national cultural monument.
Many of the miracles performed by Fr. John are known to us today,
though he was wary of receiving honor for his deeds. Frs. John and
George healed the deaf, and many of the terminally ill were brought to
them for healing. After spending several days in the monastery, the
infirm would miraculously be cleansed of their diseases. Fr. John bore
the heaviest workload in the monastery. He sympathized deeply with Fr.
George, who was ailing physically and unfit for strenuous labor. But
Fr. John departed this life before Fr. George. Fr. John became ill and
reposed in 1957, at the age of seventy-five. He was buried at Betania
Monastery.
Fr. George (Mkheidze) was born in the village of Skhvava in the Racha
region around 1877. He received a military educationa highly esteemed
commodity among the Georgian aristocracybut instead of pursuing a
military career in defense of the Russian empire, he dedicated himself
to Georgias national liberation movement. At one point the pious and
learned George worked for St. Ilia the Righteous as his personal
secretary. He often met St. Ilias spiritual father, the holy hierarch
Alexandre (Okropiridze), and the holy hieromartyr Nazar (Lezhava), and
he was acquainted with other important spiritual leaders of the time
as well.
Desiring to sacrifice his life to God, George was tonsured into
monasticism by the holy hieromartyr Nazar. His rare character combined
a noblemans deportment with a monks humble asceticism. Fr. George was
ordained a priest and soon after elevated to the rank of
archimandrite.
Filled with divine love and patriotic sentiment, the holy father
willingly endured the heavy burdens and spiritual tribulations
afflicting his country at that time.
In 1924, while Fr. George was laboring at Khirsa Monastery in Kakheti
in eastern Georgia, an armed Chekist mob broke into the monastery. The
perpetrators beat him, cut off his hair, shaved his beard, and
threatened to take his life. He sought refuge with his family, but to
no availhis brothers, who were atheists, shaved off his beard while he
was sleeping. (One of Fr. Georges brothers later committed suicide,
and the other, together with his wife, was shot to death by the
Chekists.) In the same year, Fr. George visited Betania Monastery and
was introduced to Fr. John (Maisuradze), with whom he would labor for
the remainder of his life.
Fr. Georges health was poor, and he was able to perform only the
lightest of tasks around the monastery. He tended the vegetable garden
and took responsibility for raising the bees. He was extremely
generous. At times he would give all the monasterys food to the needy,
assuring Fr. John that God Himself would provide their daily bread.
Tall, thin, and with an upright posture, Fr. George was strict in both
appearance and demeanor. He spoke very little with other people, and
children did not play with him as they did with Fr. John. Knowing his
character, they tried to please him by reciting prayers and behaving
themselves. Fr. George did not like to leave the monastery, but it was
often necessary for him to travel to Tbilisi to visit his spiritual
children among whom were many secret Christians who worked for the
government.
Fr. George was endowed with the gifts of prophecy and healing, but he
was careful to hide them. When constrained to reveal them, he would
pass them off as though they were nothing extraordinary. Once a
certain pilgrim arrived at the monastery and was surprised to discover
that Fr. George knew him by name. Sensing his great amazement, Fr.
George told the pilgrim that he had attended his baptism some thirty
years earlier, thus concealing his God-given gift. Fr. George knew in
advance when his nephew was bringing his sisters, whom he had not seen
in forty-eight years, to visit him at the monastery during Great Lent.
Enlightened with this foreknowledge, Fr. George prepared fish and a
festal meal in honor of the occasion.
The prayers of Fr. George and Fr. John healed the formers nephew, who
was afflicted by a deadly strain of meningitis. They restored hearing
to a deaf child and healed many others of their bodily infirmities.
In 1957, when Fr. John reposed in the Lord, Fr. George was tonsured
into the great schema. He was given the name John in honor of his
newly departed spiritual brother. Fr. George-John now bore full
responsibility for the affairs of the monastery. His health
deteriorated further under the weight of this heavy yoke. His
spiritual children began to come from the city to care for him.
Once a twenty-year-old girl arrived at the monastery, complaining of
incessant headaches. She had been told that the water from Betania
Monastery would heal her. She remained there for one week and was
miraculously healed. When she left to return home, Fr. George-John
walked five miles to see her off, in spite of his physical frailty.
The Theotokos appeared to Fr. George-John in a vision and relieved his
terrible physical pain. The protomartyr Thekla also appeared to him,
presenting him with a bunch of grapes. Several days before his repose,
the holy father was in the city when an angel appeared to him and
announced his imminent repose. The angel told him to return to the
monastery to prepare for his departure from this world.
St. George-John (Mkheidze) reposed in 1960. He was buried at Betania
Monastery, next to Fr. John (Maisuradze). These venerable fathers were
canonized on September 18, 2003, at a council of the Holy Synod under
the spiritual leadership of His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch
of All Georgia. Frs. John and George-John have been lovingly deemed
one soul in two bodies.
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St John
Archimandrite John (Basil Maisuradze in the world) was born in the
town of Tskhinvali in Samachablo around 1882. He was raised in a
peasant family and taught to perform all kinds of handiwork. Basil was
barely in his teens when he helped Fr. Spiridon (Ketiladze), the main
priest at Betania Monastery, to restore the monastery between 1894 and
1896.
>From his youth Basil was eager to enter the monastic life, and in
1903, according to Gods will, he moved to the Skete of St. John the
Theologian at Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos. Among the brothers he was
distinguished for his simplicity and obedience. He was tonsured a monk
and named John in honor of St. John the Theologian, whom he revered
deeply and sought to emulate.
The monk John was soon ordained to the priesthood. Throughout his life
the holy father dedicated himself to serving God and his brothers in
Christ in hopes that his own life might be fruitful for them.
Fr. John remained on Mt. Athos for seventeen years. Then, due to the
increasingly troubling circumstances there, he left the Holy Mountain
with the other Georgian monks sometime between 1920 and 1921. He
settled at Armazi Monastery outside of Mtskheta, where the Bolsheviks
had left just one monk to labor in solitude. Once a band of armed
Chekists broke into the monastery, led both Fr. John and the other
monk away, and shot them in the back.
Believing them to be dead, they tossed them in a nearby gorge. A group
of people later discovered Fr. Johns nearly lifeless body and brought
it to Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta. The other monk suffered only
minor injuries and returned to the monastery on his own.
When his health had been restored, Fr. John went to Betania Monastery,
where his first spiritual father was still laboring. He was appointed
abbot shortly thereafter. Accustomed to hard work from his childhood,
he skillfully administered the agricultural labors of the monastery.
When visitors came to the monastery seeking advice or solace, Fr. John
welcomed them warmly, spreading a festal meal before them. He enjoyed
spending time with his guests, especially with children.
It is said that he always had candy or a special treat to give to the
little ones. The children loved him so much that on the feast of St.
John the Theologian, while he was sprinkling the church with holy
water, they skipped around him and tried to tousle his hair. The
childrens parents were ashamed, but Fr. John cheerfully assured them
that it was fitting to be so joyous on a feast day.
Truly Fr. John was endowed with a deep love for young people, and he
was also blessed with the divine gifts of prophecy and wonder-working.
Once a certain Irakli Ghudushauri, a student at Moscow Theological
Seminary, visited him at the monastery. Fr. John received him with
exceptional warmth, blessing him with tears of rejoicing. This student
would later become Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, the beloved shepherd
who continues to lead the flock of the Georgian faithful to this very
day.
Fr. John disciplined himself severely. He worked hard all day and
slept on a single piece of wood. He would spend entire nights praying.
Many wondered when he rested and where he had acquired such a
seemingly infinite supply of energy.
Occasionally thieves would steal food or domestic animals from the
monastery. But the monastery also had many protectors, even within the
Soviet government. A group of Christians who worked for the government
while secretly practicing their faith supported Fr. John and Fr.
George (Mkheidze) (see below), explaining and justifying them to the
government as guardians of a national cultural monument.
Many of the miracles performed by Fr. John are known to us today,
though he was wary of receiving honor for his deeds. Frs. John and
George healed the deaf, and many of the terminally ill were brought to
them for healing. After spending several days in the monastery, the
infirm would miraculously be cleansed of their diseases. Fr. John bore
the heaviest workload in the monastery. He sympathized deeply with Fr.
George, who was ailing physically and unfit for strenuous labor. But
Fr. John departed this life before Fr. George. Fr. John became ill and
reposed in 1957, at the age of seventy-five. He was buried at Betania
Monastery.
Fr. George (Mkheidze) was born in the village of Skhvava in the Racha
region around 1877. He received a military educationa highly esteemed
commodity among the Georgian aristocracybut instead of pursuing a
military career in defense of the Russian empire, he dedicated himself
to Georgias national liberation movement. At one point the pious and
learned George worked for St. Ilia the Righteous as his personal
secretary. He often met St. Ilias spiritual father, the holy hierarch
Alexandre (Okropiridze), and the holy hieromartyr Nazar (Lezhava), and
he was acquainted with other important spiritual leaders of the time
as well.
Desiring to sacrifice his life to God, George was tonsured into
monasticism by the holy hieromartyr Nazar. His rare character combined
a noblemans deportment with a monks humble asceticism. Fr. George was
ordained a priest and soon after elevated to the rank of
archimandrite.
Filled with divine love and patriotic sentiment, the holy father
willingly endured the heavy burdens and spiritual tribulations
afflicting his country at that time.
In 1924, while Fr. George was laboring at Khirsa Monastery in Kakheti
in eastern Georgia, an armed Chekist mob broke into the monastery. The
perpetrators beat him, cut off his hair, shaved his beard, and
threatened to take his life. He sought refuge with his family, but to
no availhis brothers, who were atheists, shaved off his beard while he
was sleeping. (One of Fr. Georges brothers later committed suicide,
and the other, together with his wife, was shot to death by the
Chekists.) In the same year, Fr. George visited Betania Monastery and
was introduced to Fr. John (Maisuradze), with whom he would labor for
the remainder of his life.
Fr. Georges health was poor, and he was able to perform only the
lightest of tasks around the monastery. He tended the vegetable garden
and took responsibility for raising the bees. He was extremely
generous. At times he would give all the monasterys food to the needy,
assuring Fr. John that God Himself would provide their daily bread.
Tall, thin, and with an upright posture, Fr. George was strict in both
appearance and demeanor. He spoke very little with other people, and
children did not play with him as they did with Fr. John. Knowing his
character, they tried to please him by reciting prayers and behaving
themselves. Fr. George did not like to leave the monastery, but it was
often necessary for him to travel to Tbilisi to visit his spiritual
children among whom were many secret Christians who worked for the
government.
Fr. George was endowed with the gifts of prophecy and healing, but he
was careful to hide them. When constrained to reveal them, he would
pass them off as though they were nothing extraordinary. Once a
certain pilgrim arrived at the monastery and was surprised to discover
that Fr. George knew him by name. Sensing his great amazement, Fr.
George told the pilgrim that he had attended his baptism some thirty
years earlier, thus concealing his God-given gift. Fr. George knew in
advance when his nephew was bringing his sisters, whom he had not seen
in forty-eight years, to visit him at the monastery during Great Lent.
Enlightened with this foreknowledge, Fr. George prepared fish and a
festal meal in honor of the occasion.
The prayers of Fr. George and Fr. John healed the formers nephew, who
was afflicted by a deadly strain of meningitis. They restored hearing
to a deaf child and healed many others of their bodily infirmities.
In 1957, when Fr. John reposed in the Lord, Fr. George was tonsured
into the great schema. He was given the name John in honor of his
newly departed spiritual brother. Fr. George-John now bore full
responsibility for the affairs of the monastery. His health
deteriorated further under the weight of this heavy yoke. His
spiritual children began to come from the city to care for him.
Once a twenty-year-old girl arrived at the monastery, complaining of
incessant headaches. She had been told that the water from Betania
Monastery would heal her. She remained there for one week and was
miraculously healed. When she left to return home, Fr. George-John
walked five miles to see her off, in spite of his physical frailty.
The Theotokos appeared to Fr. George-John in a vision and relieved his
terrible physical pain. The protomartyr Thekla also appeared to him,
presenting him with a bunch of grapes. Several days before his repose,
the holy father was in the city when an angel appeared to him and
announced his imminent repose. The angel told him to return to the
monastery to prepare for his departure from this world.
St. George-John (Mkheidze) reposed in 1960. He was buried at Betania
Monastery, next to Fr. John (Maisuradze). These venerable fathers were
canonized on September 18, 2003, at a council of the Holy Synod under
the spiritual leadership of His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch
of All Georgia. Frs. John and George-John have been lovingly deemed
one soul in two bodies.
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