[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Thu May 1 2008

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Acts 2:38-43  (Epistle)
38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are
afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying,
"Be saved from this perverse generation."
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day
about three thousand souls were added to them.
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were
done through the apostles.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2


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John 3:1-15  (Gospel)
1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know
that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs
that You do unless God is with him."
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he
enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of
water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but
cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who
is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"
10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and
do not know these things?
11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify
what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will
you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven,
that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal
life.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2



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Bright Thursday
On Bright Thursday the Gospel reading is John 3:1-15, which mentions
the Pharisee Nicodemus who came by night to speak to Christ. The Lord
told him that a man could not see the Kingdom of God unless he were
born again. Nicodemus, taking Him much too literally, could not
understand how such a thing was possible.
The Savior then clarified His words, saying that one must be born "of
water and the Spirit" (John 3:5), referring to Baptism. Nicodemus,
however, still found it difficult to understand Him.
The Lord said, "If I have told you of earthly things, and you believe
not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?" (John
3:12).
The reading from Acts 2:38-41 also speaks of Baptism. St Peter told
the crowd, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
The main focus of today's readings is on Baptism, but they also point
to other things. We are to raise our mind and understanding from
earthly to heavenly things, and to seek the gift of the Holy Spirit."
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Prophet Jeremiah
The Holy Prophet Jeremiah, one of the four great Old Testament
prophets, was son of the priest Helkiah from the city of Anathoth near
Jerusalem, and he lived 600 years before the Birth of Christ, under
the Israelite king Josiah and four of his successors. He was called to
prophetic service at the age of fifteen, when the Lord revealed to him
that even before his birth the Lord had chosen him to be a prophet.
Jeremiah refused, citing his youth and lack of skill at speaking, but
the Lord promised to be always with him and to watch over him.
He touched the mouth of the chosen one and said, "Behold, I have put
My words into your mouth. Behold, I have appointed you this day over
nations and kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to
rebuild, and to plant" (Jer. 1:9-10). From that time Jeremiah
prophesied for twenty-three years, denouncing the Jews for abandoning
the true God and worshipping idols, predicting sorrows and devastating
wars. He stood by the gates of the city, and at the entrance to the
Temple, everywhere where the people gathered, and he exhorted them
with imprecations and often with tears. The people, however, mocked
and abused him, and they even tried to kill him.
Depicting for the Jews their impending enslavement to the king of
Babylon, Jeremiah first placed on his own neck a wooden, and then an
iron yoke, and thus he went about among the people. Enraged at the
dire predictions of the prophet, the Jewish elders threw the Prophet
Jeremiah into a pit filled with horrid, slimy creatures, where he
almost died. Through the intercession of the God-fearing royal
official Habdemelek, the prophet was pulled out of the pit, but he did
not cease his prophecies, and for this he was carted off to prison.
Under the Jewish king Zedekiah his prophecy was fulfilled.
Nebuchadnezzar came, slaughtered many people, carried off a remnant
into captivity, and Jerusalem was pillaged and destroyed.
Nebuchadnezzar released the prophet from prison and permitted him to
live where he wanted. The prophet remained at the ruins of Jerusalem
and bewailed his nation's misfortune. According to Tradition, the
Prophet Jeremiah took the Ark of the Covenant with the Tablets of the
Law and hid it in one of the caves of Mount Nabath (Nebo), so that the
Jews could no longer find it (2 Mac. 2). Afterwards, a new Ark of the
Covenant was fashioned, but it lacked the glory of the first.
Among the Jews remaining in their fatherland there soon arose
internecine clashes: Hodoliah, Nebuchadnezzar's viceroy, was murdered.
The Jews, fearing the wrath of Babylon, decided to flee into Egypt.
The Prophet Jeremiah disagreed with their intention, predicting that
the punishment which they feared would befall them in Egypt. The Jews
would not listen to the prophet, however, and taking him along by
force, they went into Egypt and settled in the city of Tathnis. There
the prophet lived for four years and was respected by the Egyptians,
because by his prayers he killed crocodiles and other creatures
infesting these parts. When Jeremiah prophesied that the King of
Babylon would invade Egypt and annihilate the Jews living there, the
Jews murdered him. In that very same year the saint's prophecy was
fulfilled. There is a tradition that 250 years later, Alexander the
Great transported the relics of the holy Prophet Jeremiah to
Alexandria.
The Prophet Jeremiah wrote his Book of Prophecies and also the Book of
Lamentations about the desolation of Jerusalem and the Exile. The
times in which he lived and prophesied are described in 4/2 Kings (Ch.
23-25) and in the Second Book of Chronicles (36:12) and in 2
Maccabbees (Ch. 2).
In the Gospel of Matthew it is said that the betrayal of Judas was
foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah, "And they took thirty pieces of
silver, the price of him on whom the sons of Israel had set a price,
and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me"
(Mt. 27:9-10). Perhaps Jeremiah 32:6-15 is meant.
Even after his death, the Prophet Jeremiah was regarded as a
wonderworker. Dust from his tomb was believed to cure snake-bite, and
many Christians pray to him for this purpose.
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Venerable Paphnutius the Abbot of Borov
Saint Paphnutius of Borov was born in 1394 in the village of Kudinovo,
not far from Borov, and at Baptism he was named Parthenius. His father
John was the son of a baptized Tatar, a "baskak" ("tax-collector")
named Martin, and his mother was named Photina. At the age of twenty,
Parthenius left his home and received monastic tonsure in 1414 with
the name Paphnutius at the Vyosky-Protection Monastery near Borov
under its abbot, Marcellus. St Paphnutius struggled for many years at
the monastery, and when Igumen Marcellus died, the brethren chose him
as his successor. St Photius, Metropolitan of Kiev (July 2), ordained
him to the priesthood around the year 1426.
The monk spent thirty years at the Protection Monastery, where he was
igumen, Elder, and Father-confessor. At fifty-one years of age he fell
grievously ill, gave up his position as igumen and was tonsured into
the Great Schema. After recovering his health on April 23, 1444 (the
Feast of the holy Great Martyr George the Victory-Bearer), he left the
monastery and settled with one monk on the left bank of the River
Protva, where it meets the River Isterma. Soon brethren began to
gather to him at this new place, and the number of the monks quickly
grew. A new stone church was built in place of the former wooden one,
in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The finest iconographers of those times, Dionysius, Metrophanes, and
their assistants were invited to adorn the church with icons and
frescoes. St Paphnutius was an example to the brethren, leading a
strict life. His cell was the poorest of all, and he chose the worst
morsels of food. On Mondays and Fridays he ate nothing at all, and on
Wednesdays he only ate dry food. He did the most difficult tasks
himself. He chopped and carried fire wood, dug and cultivated the
garden, yet he was always the first to arrive for church services.
St Paphnutius earned the deep respect and love not only of the
brethren of his own monastery, but also of other monasteries. Through
the providence of God a twenty-year-old youth, John Sanin was guided
to the monastery. After testing him for a time, Paphnutius tonsured
him into monasticism with the name Joseph. Later on St Joseph of
Volokolamsk (Sept. 9) defended the purity of the Orthodox Faith and
entered into struggle against the heresy of the Judaizers, condemned
at the Council of 1504. St Paphnutius blessed the young man in his
endeavors.
A week before his death, the saint foretold his end. After he had
prayed and blessed the brethren, he fell asleep in the Lord on May 1,
1477. St Paphnutius was a disciple of St Sergius of Radonezh (Sept.
25).
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"Myrrh-Bearing" Icon of the Mother of God
The "Myrrh-Bearing" Icon of the Mother of God of Tsarevokokshaisk (in
the province of Kazan) appeared to the peasant Andrew Ivanov on May 1,
1647 near Bolshaya Kuznetsa, fifteen versts from the city of
Tsarevokokshaisk in the Kazan region. Working in the field, Andrew
noticed an icon lying on the ground and wanted to pick it up, but the
icon became invisible. The astonished peasant, looking around, noticed
the icon in a tree, supported by an unseen force. He prayed and took
the icon home, where it was glorified by miracles.
Pilgrims thronged to the icon from all the surrounding villages. They
carried the image to the city of Tsarevokokshaisk, and later to
Moscow, and after a while, they returned home with it. A monastery was
built at the place of its appearance. It is called "Myrrh-Bearing"
because the Mother of God is depicted with the Myrrh-Bearing Women.
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St Panaretus of Cyprus
No information available.
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Hieromartyr Macarius the Metropolitan of Kiev
The Hieromartyr Macarius, Metropolitan of Kiev, was earlier the
archimandrite of the Vilensk Holy Trinity monastery.
In 1495, after the death of Metropolitan Jonah of Kiev, Macarius was
chosen and ordained in his place by an assembly of hierarchs; Vassian
of Vladimir, Luke of Polotsk, Vassian of Turov and Jonah of Lutsk.
Papers of blessing were sent from Constantinople by the Patriarch
Niphon, confirming the election of St Macarius to the metropolitan See
of Kiev. On May 1, 1497 Tatars invading Russia killed Metropolitan
Macarius of Kiev and All Rus in the village of Strigolovo, at the
River Vzhischa, where the saint was conducting divine services. Many
of his flock were killed with him, or taken into captivity .
The holy incorrupt relics of St Macarius, glorified by God with
miracles, rest now at Kiev at the Vladimir cathedral church.
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Martyr Bata the Persian
The Martyr Bata, a monastic, lived during the fourth century in Persia
and labored there in one of the monasteries. The holy martyr was
killed in the city of Nisibis for confessing the Christian Faith
during a time of persecution against Christians initiated by the
Persian emperor.
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Right-believing Tamara, Queen of Georgia
In 1166 a daughter, Tamar, was born to King George III (11551184) and
Queen Burdukhan of Georgia. The king proclaimed that he would share
the throne with his daughter from the day she turned twelve years of
age.
The royal court unanimously vowed its allegiance and service to Tamar,
and father and daughter ruled the country together for five years.
After King Georges death in 1184, the nobility recognized the young
Tamar as the sole ruler of all Georgia. Queen Tamar was enthroned as
ruler of all Georgia at the age of eighteen. She is called King in the
Georgian language because her father had no male heir and so she ruled
as a monarch and not as a consort.
At the beginning of her reign, Tamar convened a Church council and
addressed the clergy with wisdom and humility: Judge according to
righteousness, affirming good and condemning evil, she advised. Begin
with meif I sin I should be censured, for the royal crown is sent down
from above as a sign of divine service. Allow neither the wealth of
the nobles nor the poverty of the masses to hinder your work. You by
word and I by deed, you by preaching and I by the law, you by
upbringing and I by education will care for those souls whom God has
entrusted to us, and together we will abide by the law of God, in
order to escape eternal condemnation. You as priests and I as ruler,
you as stewards of good and I as the watchman of that good.
The Church and the royal court chose a suitor for Tamar: Yuri, the son
of Prince Andrei Bogoliubsky of Vladimir-Suzdal (in Georgia Yuri was
known as George the Russian). The handsome George Rusi was a valiant
soldier, and under his command the Georgians returned victorious from
many battles. His marriage to Tamar, however, exposed many of the
coarser sides of his character. He was often drunk and inclined toward
immoral deeds. In the end, Tamars court sent him away from Georgia to
Constantinople, armed with a generous recompense. Many Middle Eastern
rulers were drawn to Queen Tamars beauty and desired to marry her, but
she rejected them all. Finally at the insistence of her court, she
agreed to wed a second time to ensure the preservation of the dynasty.
This time, however, she asked her aunt and nurse Rusudan (the sister
of King George III) to find her a suitor. The man she chose,
Davit-Soslan Bagrationi, was the son of the Ossetian ruler and a
descendant of King George I (10141027).
In 1195 a joint Muslim military campaign against Georgia was planned
under the leadership of Atabeg (a military commander) Abu Bakr of
Persian Azerbaijan. At Queen Tamars command, a call to arms was
issued. The faithful were instructed by Metropolitan Anton of
Chqondidi to celebrate All-night Vigils and Liturgies and to
generously distribute alms so that the poor could rest from their
labors in order to pray. In ten days the army was prepared, and Queen
Tamar addressed the Georgian soldiers for the last time before the
battle began. My brothers! Do not allow your hearts to tremble before
the multitude of enemies, for God is with us. Trust God alone, turn
your hearts to Him in righteousness, and place your every hope in the
Cross of Christ and in the Most Holy Theotokos! she exhorted them.
Having taken off her shoes, Queen Tamar climbed the hill to the
Metekhi Church of the Theotokos (in Tbilisi) and knelt before the icon
of the Most Holy Theotokos. She prayed without ceasing until the good
news arrived: the battle near Shamkori had ended in the unquestionable
victory of the Orthodox Georgian army.
After this initial victory the Georgian army launched into a series of
triumphs over the Turks, and neighboring countries began to regard
Georgia as the protector of the entire Transcaucasus. By the beginning
the 13th century, Georgia was commanding a political authority
recognized by both the Christian West and the Muslim East.
Georgias military successes alarmed the Islamic world. Sultan Rukn
al-Din was certain that a united Muslim force could definitively
decide the issue of power in the region, and he marched on Georgia
around the year 1203, commanding an enormous army.
Having encamped near Basiani, Rukn al-Din sent a messenger to Queen
Tamar with an audacious demand: to surrender without a fight. In
reward for her obedience, the sultan promised to marry her on the
condition that she embrace Islam; if Tamar were to cleave to
Christianity, he would number her among the other unfortunate
concubines in his harem. When the messenger relayed the sultans
demand, a certain nobleman, Zakaria Mkhargrdzelidze, was so outraged
that he slapped him on the face, knocking him unconscious.
At Queen Tamars command, the court generously bestowed gifts upon the
ambassador and sent him away with a Georgian envoy and a letter of
reply. Your proposal takes into consideration your wealth and the
vastness of your armies, but fails to account for divine judgment,
Tamar wrote, while I place my trust not in any army or worldly thing
but in the right hand of the Almighty God and the infinite aid of the
Cross, which you curse. The will of Godand not your ownshall be
fulfilled, and the judgment of Godand not your judgmentshall reign!
The Georgian soldiers were summoned without delay. Queen Tamar prayed
for victory before the Vardzia Icon of the Theotokos, then, barefoot,
led her army to the gates of the city.
Hoping in the Lord and the fervent prayers of Queen Tamar, the
Georgian army marched toward Basiani. The enemy was routed. The
victory at Basiani was an enormous event not only for Georgia, but for
the entire Christian world.
The military victories increased Queen Tamars faith. In the daytime
she shone in all her royal finery and wisely administered the affairs
of the government; during the night, on bended knees, she beseeched
the Lord tearfully to strengthen the Georgian Church. She busied
herself with needlework and distributed her embroidery to the poor.
Once, exhausted from her prayers and needlework, Tamar dozed off and
saw a vision. Entering a luxuriously furnished home, she saw a gold
throne studded with jewels, and she turned to approach it, but was
suddenly stopped by an old man crowned with a halo. Who is more worthy
than I to receive such a glorious throne? Queen Tamar asked him.
He answered her, saying, This throne is intended for your maidservant,
who sewed vestments for twelve priests with her own hands. You are
already the possessor of great treasure in this world. And he pointed
her in a different direction.
Having awakened, Holy Queen Tamar immediately took to her work and
with her own hands sewed vestments for twelve priests.
History has preserved another poignant episode from Queen Tamars life:
Once she was preparing to attend a festal Liturgy in Gelati, and she
fastened precious rubies to the belt around her waist. Soon after she
was told that a beggar outside the monastery tower was asking for
alms, and she ordered her entourage to wait. Having finished dressing,
she went out to the tower but found no one there. Terribly distressed,
she reproached herself for having denied the poor and thus denying
Christ Himself. Immediately she removed her belt, the cause of her
temptation, and presented it as an offering to the Gelati Icon of the
Theotokos.
During Queen Tamars reign a veritable monastic city was carved in the
rocks of Vardzia, and the God-fearing Georgian ruler would labor there
during the Great Fast. The churches of Pitareti, Kvabtakhevi, Betania,
and many others were also built at that time. Holy Queen Tamar
generously endowed the churches and monasteries not only on Georgian
territory but also outside her borders: in Palestine, Cyprus, Mt.
Sinai, the Black Mountains, Greece, Mt. Athos, Petritsoni (Bulgaria),
Macedonia, Thrace, Romania, Isauria and Constantinople. The divinely
guided Queen Tamar abolished the death penalty and all forms of bodily
torture.
A regular, secret observance of a strict ascetic regimefasting, a
stone bed, and litanies chanted in bare feetfinally took its toll on
Queen Tamars health. For a long time she refrained from speaking to
anyone about her condition, but when the pain became unbearable she
finally sought help. The best physicians of the time were unable to
diagnose her illness, and all of Georgia was seized with fear of
disaster. Everyone from the small to the great prayed fervently for
Georgias ruler and defender. The people were prepared to offer not
only their own lives, but even the lives of their children, for the
sake of their beloved ruler.
God sent Tamar a sign when He was ready to receive her into His
Kingdom. Then the pious ruler bade farewell to her court and turned in
prayer to an icon of Christ and the Life-giving Cross: Lord Jesus
Christ! Omnipotent Master of heaven and earth! To Thee I deliver the
nation and people that were entrusted to my care and purchased by Thy
Precious Blood, the children whom Thou didst bestow upon me, and to
Thee I surrender my soul, O Lord!
The burial place of Queen Tamar has remained a mystery to this day.
Some sources claim that her tomb is in Gelati, in a branch of burial
vaults belonging to the Bagrationi dynasty, while others argue that
her holy relics are preserved in a vault at the Holy Cross Monastery
in Jerusalem.
St. Tamara is commemorated on the Sunday of the Myrrh-beating Women in
addition to her regular commemoration on May 1.
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Venerable Nicephorus of Chios
Saint Nicephorus, the "most luminous star of the Church of Christ,"
who delighted the hearts of the faithful "with divinely inspired
teachings," was born around 1750 at Kardamyla on the Greek island of
Chios, and his family name was Georgios, or Georgos. When he was still
very young, he became sick with a pestilential disease. His parents
vowed that if he recovered, they would offer him to the Mother of God
to serve Her at the famous Byzantine monastery of Nea Moni, which was
dedicated to Her. He did get well, and so the parents took him to the
monastery, where he was placed under the guidance of the venerable
Elder Anthimus Hagiopateritis.
Later, he was sent to the city of Chios to be educated in its schools
by the priest Fr Gabriel Astrakaris. St Nicephorus remained close to
this priest throughout the period of his education in the city, where
he developed a love for learning, and a respect for those who taught
others. He also met St Athanasius Parios (June 24), who was the
Director of the school in the city of Chios. The greatest influence on
his life was St Macarius of Corinth (April 17), whom he met even
before he met St Athanasius. St Macarius was at Chios in 1780, left
for a time, then returned in 1790. St Nicephorus saw St Macarius
frequently, and learned much from him. After finishing his education,
St Nicephorus returned to the monastery and was ordained a deacon.
When St Athanasius Parios reorganized the school of Chios, he
appointed Nicephorus as one of its teachers. At the same time, he was
also given a blessing to preach the Word of God at Nea Moni and
elsewhere.
While serving as a teacher, St Nicephorus was called to become the
Igumen of Nea Moni. Until 1802, the monks had managed the monastery's
affairs without any audits. In that year, however, the monastery was
fined 600, 000 piasters, and some of the monastery's estates had to be
sold to pay the amount. Suspecting that the affairs of the monastery
were not being properly administered, the citizens asked that Fr
Nicephorus be made Igumen. They knew he despised worldly possessions,
and so they had full confidence in him. They also decided that an
audit of the monastery accounts would be made every year.
It was not easy for St Nicephorus to assume this burden, for he was
not familiar with the many responsibilities of a Superior. He would
have prefered solitude and study, but he applied himself to his new
duties. During the next two years, he tried to resolve conflicts, and
to raise the moral spirit of the monks by teaching and by personal
example. There were many people above him and below him who did not
appreciate his efforts, however, and they plotted against him.
Unaccustomed to quarrels and intrigues, he was unable to complete his
two year term in office. Therefore, he left and sought refuge in the
Hermitage of St George at Resta.
Although he was unable to govern these monks, St Nicephorus did excel
in his personal life, and in guiding many people to virtue. He also
composed church services and hymns to various saints, including Sts
Niketas, John, and Joseph (May 20), and St Matrona of Chios (October
20).
The companions of St Nicephorus at Resta were a retired priest (who
had also been a teacher) called Fr Joseph, and St Macarius of Corinth.
Fr Joseph had lived on Mount Athos for a while, then settled on Chios.
He also composed church services, including one to the New Martyr St
Nicholas the New (October 31), which had been published in Venice in
1791. In 1812, St Athanasius Parios retired as Director of the schools
of Chios, and joined St Nicephorus and the others at Resta.
St Nicephorus devoted himself to spiritual struggles, study, and
writing. He also engaged in physical work of an agricultural nature.
He planted olive and fig trees, cypresses, and pines. He also
encouraged others to plant trees, for he understood that a lack of
trees led to poverty, and that by planting trees one's material
resources could be improved. The saint would sometimes tell those who
came to him for Confession to plant so many trees as a penance.
In 1805, on his deathbed, St Macarius entrusted St Nicephorus with the
task of completing and publishing his book THE NEW LEIMONARION. This
book contained the Lives and church services of various martyrs,
ascetics, and other saints. It is remarkable in that three saints
collaborated on this book about saints, St Macarius, St Nicephorus,
and St Athanasius Parios.
By writing so many saints' Lives and church services, St Nicephorus
showed that he considered them important and beneficial. Not only did
he provide the biographical details about these saints, he also
expressed the Orthodox view of God and man, the beauty of the virtues,
and spiritual concepts such as theosis (divinization), inner
attention, ceaseless prayer, purification, and asceticism in general.
Like St Macarius of Corinth, St Nicephorus was also known as a trainer
of martyrs. Those who abandoned Christianity and embraced Islam, and
later repented of their actions, went to him to confess their sin. He
helped them to prepare to wash away their apostasy by shedding their
blood as martyrs. Mindful of the Lord's words, "Whoever shall deny Me
before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in heaven"
(Mt. 10:33) they believed that only after a public reaffirmation of
their faith in Christ before the Moslem authorities (which inevitably
resulted in a sentence of death) could their sin be forgiven.
St Nicephorus prepared them with prayer, fasting, prostrations, and by
encouraging them to remain strong when they went to their deaths. Thus
fortified, they endured the most horrible tortures with astonishing
courage. Not only did the martyrs themselves receive grace and
forgiveness from God, but their example encouraged others to remain
firm in the Orthodox Faith.
In addition to those whom he perpared personally, many others were
also inspired to martyrdom through his published Lives and services to
the martyrs.
Although St Nicephorus had the grace of working miracles, this is not
the only reason that he is venerated as a saint. His holy life and
character are also important considerations. A saint is one who is
free from all vice and possesses all the virtues through divine grace.
The people of Chios recognized that St Nicephorus was humble, gentle,
free from anger, and filled with love for others. That is why, even in
his lifetime, they regarded him as a saint.
St Nicephorus was of medium height, with a pale and gentle face, and a
large black beard. Although St Nicephorus probably reposed in the
summer of 1821, his Feast Day is designated as May 1. He died in a
home near the church of St Paraskeve, where he sometimes stayed
overnight when he was unable to get back to Resta. His body was
brought back to Resta, and was placed in a grave where both St
Athanasius Parius and the monk Nilus had once been buried.
The holy relics of St Nicephorus were uncovered in 1845 and brought to
the metropolitan church of Chios. Many years later, the Guild of
Tanners asked for the relics and placed them in the church of St
George. In 1907, an icon of St Nicephorus was painted, and a church
service was composed in his honor.
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New Martyr Euthymius of Mt Athos
This holy New Martyr of Christ was born in Demitsana in the
Peloponnesos. His parents were Panagiotes and Maria, and he was given
the name Eleutherius in Baptism. Eleutherius was the youngest of five
children (the others were George, Christos, John, and Katerina).
After attending school in Demetsana, Eleutherius and John traveled to
Constantinople to enroll in the Patriarchal Academy. Later, they went
to Jassy, Romania where their father and brothers were in business.
Some time afterwards, Eleutherius decided to go to Mt. Athos to become
a monk. Because of a war between Russia and Turkey, he was able to
travel only as far as Bucharest. There he stayed with the French
consul, then with an employee of the Russian consul.
Eleutherius began to pursue a life of pleasure, putting aside his
thoughts of monasticism. When hostilities ceased, Eleutherius made his
way to Constantinople in the company of some Moslems. On the way, he
turned from Orthodoxy and embraced Islam. He was circumcised and given
the name Reschid. Soon his conscience began to torment him for his
denial of Christ. The other Moslems began to notice a change in his
attitude, so they restricted his movements and kept a close watch on
him.
One day Eleutherius was seen wearing a cross, so the others reported
him to the master of the house, Rais Efendi. The master favored
Eleutherius, which made the others jealous. He told them it was still
too early for Eleutherius to give up all his Christian ways.
Rais Efendi and his household journeyed to Adrianople, arriving on a
Saturday. Metropolitan Cyril, who later became Patriarch of
Constantinople, was serving Vespers in one of the city's churches.
Eleutherius pretended to have letters for Metropolitan Cyril, but he
send someone else to receive them. When Eleutherius told this man that
he wanted Christian clothes, he became suspicious and sent him away.
Back in Constantinople, Rais Efendi gave Eleutherius costly presents,
hoping to influence him to remain a Moslem. Eleutherius, however,
prayed that God would permit him to escape. He ran off at the first
opportunity, seeking out a priest from the Peloponnesos who lived near
the Patriarchate. After relating his story, Eleutherius asked the
priest to help him get away. The priest refused to assist him, fearing
reprisals if he should be caught. He gave Eleutherius some advice,
then sent him away.
With some assistance from the Russian embassy, Eleutherius boarded a
ship and sailed to Mt. Athos. At the Great Lavra Eleutherius was
chrismated and received back into the Orthodox Church, and also became
a monk with the name Euthymius.
Euthymius read the NEW MARTYROLOGION of St Nicodemus (July 14), and
was inspired by the example of the New Martyrs. He then became
consumed with a desire to wipe out his apostasy with the blood of
martyrdom.
St Euthymius went to Constantinople with a monk named Gregory,
arriving on March 19, 1814. A few days later, on Palm Sunday, he
received Holy Communion. Removing his monastic garb, he dressed
himself as a Moslem and went to the palace of the Grand Vizier, Rusud
Pasha. St Euthymius, holding palms in his hand, confessed that he was
an Orthodox Christian, and wished to die for Christ. He denounced
Mohammed and the Moslem religion, then trampled upon the turban he had
worn on his head, which led the Vizier to believe that he was either
drunk or crazy.
The valiant warrior of Christ assured the Vizier that he was in his
right mind, and was not drunk. Euthymius was thrown into a dark cell
and bound with chains. After an hour or so, they brought him out
again. With flattery and promises of wealth, the Vizier tried to
convince Euthymius to return to the Moslem faith. The saint boldly
declared that Islam was a religion based on fables and falsehood, and
that he would not deny Christ again even if he were to be tortured and
slain.
The Grand Vizier ordered the saint to be beaten and returned to
prison. After three hours, St Euthymius was brought before Rusud
Pasha, who said to him, "Have you reconsidered, or do you remain
stubborn?"
Euthymius replied, "There is only one true Faith, that of the Orthodox
Christians. How can I believe in your false prophet Mohammed?"
Now the Vizier realized that he would never convince Euthymius to
return to Islam, so he ordered him to be put to death by the sword.
When the executioner attempted to tie the saint's hands he said, "I
came here voluntarily, so there is no need to bind my hands.Allow me
to meet my death untied."
St Euthymius was allowed to walk to the place of execution unbound. He
went joyfully and unafraid, holding a cross in his right hand, and
palms in his left. When they arrived at the site, Euthymius faced east
and began to pray. He thanked God for making him worthy of martyrdom
for His sake. He also prayed for his family and friends, asking God to
grant all their petitions which are unto salvation.
Then St Euthymius kissed the cross he was holding, then knelt and bent
his neck. The executioner struck a fierce blow with the sword, but
this did not behead him. He struck again, and failed to kill him.
Finally, he took a knife and slit the martyr's throat.
St Euthymius was killed about noon on March 22, 1814 in
Constantinople, thereby earning a place in the heavenly Kingdom where
he glorifies the holy, consubstantial, and life-creating Trinity, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, forevermore.
The head of St Euthymius is in the Monastery of St Panteleimon on Mt.
Athos.
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New Martyr Ignatius the Martyr of Mt Athos
The holy New Martyr Ignatius was born in the village of Eski Zagora in
the Trnovo region of Bulgaria, and was named John in Baptism. While he
was still a young child, his parents George and Maria moved to the
city of Philippopolis and enrolled him in a school there.
Although he did well at school, he had a strong desire for the
monastic life. Upon reaching adulthood, he entered the Rila monastery
in western Bulgaria. There he was assigned to an Elder, with whom he
lived in obedience for six years. When the Elder's strictness became
unbearable, John returned home.
About that time the Serbs rose in revolt against the Moslem
government. John's father was asked to take command of an Ottoman
brigade, but he refused to fight against other Orthodox Christians.
The Moslems attacked George with furious anger. He was stabbed and
then beheaded. John's mother and sisters were also taken by the
Hagarenes, and they ultimately agreed to convert to Islam.
John fled and hid in the home of an elderly Orthodox woman. His mother
and sisters learned where he was hiding, and they told the Moslems.
Those sent to capture him did not know what he looked like, so the old
woman told them she did not know him. The woman helped him escape to
Bucharest, Romania, where he became acquainted with St Euthymius, who
would also endure martyrdom.
John did not wish to stay in Bucharest, however, and so he left for
Mt. Athos. On the way he visited the village of Soumla, where he ran
into his friend Fr Euthymius again. Learning that Euthymius had denied
Christ and beome a Moslem, John became very sad and left the village.
He had not gotten very far when Turkish soldiers stopped him and took
all his possessions. They demanded that he convert to Islam, and in
his fright he told them that he would do so. Satisfied with this
reply, they let him go.
John reached the village of Eski Zagora, where he met an Athonite monk
from the monastery of Grigoriou. They journeyed to the Holy Mountain
together, and John settled in the Skete of St Anna. There he met Fr
Basil.
One day John and Fr Basil traveled to Thessalonica on monastery
business. While they were there the monks David and Euthymius of
Demetsana suffered martyrdom because they were Christians. John was
inflamed with the desire for martyrdom. Fr Basil, however, urged him
to postpone his intention, and so they returned to the Holy Mountain.
A short time after this, Fr Basil died.
When a monk from the Skete of St Anna told him of the martyrdom of the
New Martyr Euthymius (March 22), John was once more filled with zeal
for martyrdom. He was placed under the spiritual direction of the
Elder Acacius, who prescribed for him prayer, prostrations, and
reading the Gospel.
In time, John was found worthy of monastic tonsure, and was given the
new name Ignatius. The Elder Acacius blessed him to travel to
Constantinople with the monk Gregory in order to bear witness to
Christ. After receiving the Holy Mysteries in Constantinople, Ignatius
felt he was ready for his ordeal.
Dressed in Moslem garb, Ignatius went before the kadi and proclaimed
his faith in Christ. He told him how he had promised to become a
Moslem when he was younger, but now he threw his turban at the kadi's
feet and said that he would never deny Christ.
Thinking that Ignatius was insane, the kadi warned him that if he did
not come to his senses he would endure horrible torments before being
put to death. On the other hand, if he embraced Islam, he would
receive rich gifts and great honor from them.
The courageous martyr told the kadi to keep his gifts, for they were
merely temporal gifts. "Your threats of torture and death are nothing
new," he said, "and I knew of them before I came here. In fact, I came
here because of them, so that I might die for my Christ."
St Ignatius went on to call Mohammed "a false prophet, a teacher of
perdition, and a friend of the devil." Then he invited the Moslems to
believe in Christ, the only true God.
The kadi then became so angry he could not speak, so he motioned for a
servant to lead St Ignatius out of the room. Ignatius turned and
struck the servant, then knelt before the kadi and bent his neck, as
if inviting him to behead him then and there. Other servants entered
the room, however, and dragged him off to prison.
Later, Ignatius was brought before the kadi for questioning. When
asked who had brought him to Constantinople, he replied, "My Lord
Jesus Christ brought me here."
Again the kadi urged him to reconsider, for he was about to experience
unimaginable tortures. "Do not expect to be beheaded so that the
Christians can collect your blood as a blessing," he said, "for I
intend to hang you."
Ignatius replied, "You will be doing me a great service whether you
hang me or put me to the sword. I accept everything for the love of
Christ."
Seeing that he could not turn Ignatius from his Christian Faith, the
kadi ordered him to be hanged. He was taken to a place called
Daktyloporta, where the sentence was carried out. The martyr's body
remained hanging there for three days, then some pious Christians paid
a ransom for it and took it to the island of Prote for burial.
St Ignatius gave his life for Christ on October, 1814. He is also
commemorated on May 1 together with Sts Acacius and Euthymius.
The head of St Ignatius is in the Monastery of St Panteleimon on Mt
Athos.
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New Martyr Acacius the Martyr of Mt Athos and Seres
The holy New Martyr Acacius was born at Neochorion, Macedonia near
Thessalonica in the eighteenth century. The oldest son of Bulgarian
peasants, he was named Athanasius at his baptism. When he was nine
years old, his family moved to the city of Serres. Athanasius was
apprenticed to a cobbler, who frequently beat him. On the night of
Holy Friday, after a particularly severe beating, he wandered onto the
street and two Moslem women comforted him, brought him home and fed
him. Pretending sympathy, they urged him to deny Christ, the bread
which came down from heaven (John 6:41). They took the boy to Yusuf
Bey, who adopted him, gave him a Moslem name, and had him circumcised.
He lived in that home for nine years.
At first, the wife of Yusuf Bey treated Athanasius with maternal love,
but this later turned into a lustful passion. Just as the righteous
Joseph (March 31) rejected the advances of Potiphar's wife (Genesis
39:8-10), so did Athanasius spurn the advances of the Moslem woman. So
she told her husband that Athanasius had tried to force himself on
her. His Turkish father threw him out of the house, and the young man
returned to Thessalonica to find his real parents. His mother told him
it was too dangerous for him to stay with them, and so he went to Mt
Athos.
At first he lived at the Hilandar Monastery for a while, but he spent
time in other monasteries as well. He confessed his apostasy to Fr
Nicholas at the Xenophontos Monastery, who read the prescribed prayers
and received him back into the Church through Chrismation. Athanasius
returned to Hilandar for about a year, then went to Iveron. While at
the skete at Iveron he heard of Sts Euthymius and Ignatius, and
desired to imitate their feat of martyrdom. He became filled with the
desire to wipe out his sin by shedding his blood for Christ in the
same place where he had denied Him. Athanasius revealed all this to Fr
Nikephorus, who had been the spiritual Father of Sts Ignatius and
Euthymius. He was placed under the direction of the monk Acacius, who
was to prepare him for his difficult struggle. Athanasius spent his
time in ceaseless prayer, vigil, and fasting. This, of course, aroused
the hatred of the devil, who sowed the seeds of doubt and uncertainty
in his soul. After thirty-five days Athanasius became faint-hearted
and ran away in the middle of the night.
Athanasius went to Simonopetra Monastery, but found no peace there. He
returned to Hilandar Monastery, but as a penance he had to live in the
vineyard rather than in a cell. He soon became ill and was taken to
Karyes, the capital of the Holy Mountain, but he refused medical
treatment. Those who had brought him there were upset by this, and
they said that he was neither a Christian nor a Moslem. Stung by their
rebuke, Athanasius went into seclusion for forty days.
At the end of that time, Athanasius returned to Fr Nikephorus at
Iveron and Elder Acacius was assigned to look after him again. He
entered upon an intense program of prayer, prostrations, and vigil,
and was granted the gift of tears. On the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent,
seeing his repentance and progress in virtue, the Elder Acacius
tonsured him with the name Acacius.
Soon he left for Constantinople with the Elder Gregory, who had also
accompanied Sts Ignatius and Euthymius on their way to martyrdom. They
left Mt Athos on a ship, arriving in Constantinople thirteen days
later. On April 22, St Acacius received Holy Communion at a church in
Galata, then returned to the ship. He changed into Moslem clothing and
went with Fr Gregory to the Porte, where a doorkeeper asked them what
they wanted.
St Acacius related his story, saying that he had been deceived into
renouncing Christianity and accepting Islam, but now he had come to
his senses. Denouncing Mohammed as a false prophet, he loudly
proclaimed that he was a Christian. Then he threw his turban on the
floor, trampled it under his feet, and spit on it.
St Acacius was seized, beaten, and thrown into prison. That night he
was promised wealth and high position if he would return to Islam.
When he refused, they began to beat him again.
The next day, St Acacius was brought before the vizier and repeated
his story, then was returned to prison. Fr Gregory was able to send a
messenger to bring Acacius a pyx containing the Holy Gifts, and he
partook of the life-giving Mysteries of Christ.
Soon after this, the holy martyr was led to a place called Parmak
Kapi, where he was beheaded. St Acacius gave his life for Christ on
May 1, 1816 at six o'clock in the evening. Some pious Christians
ransomed the saint's body from the Turks, and Fr Gregory brought it
back to Mt Athos. The holy relics were brought to Iveron and buried in
a church dedicated to Sts Ignatius and Euthymius.
Although some sources give the year of the saint's martyrdom as 1815,
there is a letter from St Acacius to a certain spiritual Father on Mt
Athos dated April 27, 1816 which states that he is on his way to
martyrdom. Thus, the year is 1816.
The heads of Sts Acacius, Euthymius, and Ignatius are in the Russian
monastery of St Panteleimon on the Holy Mountain.
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Icon of the Mother of God of "the Unexpected Joy" from
Andronikov
The "Unexpected Joy" Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, is painted in
this way: in a room is an icon of the Mother of God, and beneath it a
youth is kneeling at prayer. The tradition about the healing of some
youth from a bodily affliction through this holy icon is recorded in
the book of St Demetrius of Rostov, The Fleece of Prayer [See Judges
6: 36-40].
The sinful youth, who was nevertheless devoted to the Theotokos, was
praying one day before the icon of the All-Pure Virgin before going
out to commit a sin. Suddenly, he saw that wounds appeared on the
Lord's hands, feet, and side, and blood flowed from them. In horror he
exclaimed, "O Lady, who has done this?" The Mother of God replied,
"You and other sinners, because of your sins, crucify My Son anew."
Only then did he realize how great was the depth of his sinfulness.
For a long time he prayed with tears to the All-Pure Mother of God and
the Savior for mercy. Finally, he received the unexpected joy of the
forgiveness of his sins.
The "Unexpected Joy" icon is also commemorated on January 25 and May
1.
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St Gerasimus of Boldino
Saint Gerasimus of Boldino, whose secular name was Gregory, was born
in 1490 at Pereslav-Zalessk. In his early childhood, he often went to
church to attend the divine services. When he heard about the holy
life of St Daniel of Pereyaslavl (April 7), the thirteen-year-old
Gregory tearfully begged the Elder to permit him to join him. The
Elder accepted the boy as a novice and, after a short time, gave him
monastic tonsure with the name Gerasimus. The new monk zealously
fulfilled the labors of fasting and prayer, and soon he was known in
Moscow as a strict ascetic. He even traveled to the capital with his
teacher, and met the Tsar.
Worldly fame was a burden for the ascetic and, after twenty-six years
under St Daniel's guidance, St Gerasimus obtained the blessing of his
Elder to live the solitary life in the region of Smolensk. He settled
near the city of Dorogobuzha in a wild forest inhabited by snakes and
wild animals.The holy ascetic restrained his body ("the wild beast")
by subjecting it to heat and cold. The saint often had to endure the
intrusion of brigands, but he bore all their outrages meekly and
patiently, and he prayed for the malefactors.
In a vision, he was instructed to go to Boldino Hill, where an immense
oak stood by a spring. The local inhabitants beat him with sticks and
wanted to drown him, but they became frightened and handed him over to
the administrator of Dorogobuzha, who threw him into jail for
vagrancy. St Gerasimus patiently endured the ridicule, keeping silence
and devoting himself to prayer.
During this time an imperial emissary from Moscow came to visit the
administrator. Seeing St Gerasimus, he bowed down before him and asked
his blessing. He recognized him because he had seen the saint before,
with St Daniel, in the presence of the Tsar. The administrator became
terrified, and immediately begged the saint's forgiveness and promised
to build an enclosure to protect him from robbers.
Besides the Boldino monastery, St Gerasimus founded another monastery
in honor of St John the Forerunner at the city of Vyazma, and later
on, in the Bryansk forest at the River Zhizdra, a monastery in honor
of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. Peter
Korostelev, a disciple of St Gerasimus, was made igumen of this
monastery. Several ascetics were under the spiritual guidance of St
Gerasimus: the igumen Anthony, who later became the Bishop of Vologda
(Oct. 26), and Arcadius, a disciple of St Gerasimus, struggled as a
hermit and was buried at the Boldino monastery.
Before his death, St Gerasimus summoned the igumens and monks of the
monasteries he had founded, told them of his life, and gave them his
final instructions. This oral narrative of the saint was included in
his Life, which was composed by St Anthony at the request of the
Elders. The Rule, or Testament, of St Gerasimus is similar to the
"Spiritual Deed" of St Joseph of Volokolamsk (September 9, October 18,
February 13). From St Joseph he also borrowed the practice of having
twelve Elders govern the monastery.
There is an oral tradition that he may have converted Opta, the
founder of Optina Monastery. It seems that he would convert the
criminals in a given area, and then establish a monastery there.
St Gerasimus reposed on May 1, 1554. He is also commemorated on July
20.
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Martyr Isidora
No information available at this time.
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St Zosimas II of Kumurdo
Saint Zosimas of Kumurdo lived and labored from the end of the 15th
century through the first half of the 16th century. To the world he
was known as Zebede. He was raised by Princess Ketevan, the daughter
of King George VIII (14461466).
In 1515 Zebede was tonsured a monk and given the new name Zosimas. It
is believed that in the same year he was also consecrated a bishop. An
inscription at Kumurdo Church attests to his hierarchical rank: May
the Lord have mercy on Zosimas, bishop of Kumurdo. Amen.
St. Zosimas is credited with compiling a handwritten anthology of
prayers, homilies, and other writings in the year 1537. The anthology
concludes with two of the holy fathers own wills.
In addition to his pastoral, educational and church-building activity
in the Kumurdo diocese, St. Zosimas also performed many important
works in the Holy Land of Jerusalem. In the 15th and 16th centuries
the struggle between Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics over whom
God had appointed heir to the holy hill of Golgotha became
particularly acute, and the Orthodox Church was forced to defend the
rights that it had acquired in previous centuries. At that time St.
Zosimas arrived in the Holy Land and joined the struggle to liberate
Golgotha from the Catholics. In honor of his valiant efforts, two
vigil lamps were later hung in his name in the churches at Golgotha
and the Holy Cross Monastery.
It is significant to note that from the 15th century the names of the
bishops of Kumurdo have been inscribed in an important chronicle
called _Ertgulebis Tsigni_, or _The Book of Faith_. Throughout history
the hierarchs of Kumurdo have defended the unity of the Georgian
Church and stood steadfast as pillars of national-religious sentiment
and examples of faith.
On October 17, 2002, the Georgian Church canonized the holy hierarch
Zosimas of Kumurdo and reinstated the bishopric of ancient Kumurdo.
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