[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

Sun May 4 05:00:17 CDT 2008

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun May 4 2008

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Matthew 28:16-20  (1st Matins Gospel)
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain
which Jesus had appointed for them.
17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been
given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3

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Acts 5:12-20  (Epistle)
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were
done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's
Porch.
13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them
highly.
14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of
both men and women,
15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on
beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might
fall on some of them.
16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem,
bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits,
and they were all healed.
17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him
(which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with
indignation,
18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common
prison.
19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and
brought them out, and said,
20 Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of
this life.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3

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John 20:19-31  (Gospel)
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,
when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear
of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then
the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent
Me, I also send you."
22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you
retain the sins of any, they are retained.
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them
when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails,
and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into
His side, I will not believe."
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas
with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst,
and said, "Peace to you!"
27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My
hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be
unbelieving, but believing."
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have
believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His
disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His
name.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

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Antipascha St Thomas Sunday
Some icons depicting this event are inscribed "The Doubting Thomas."
This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, "The Touching of
Thomas." The Slavonic inscription is, "The Belief of Thomas." When St
Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any
doubts.
br> This day is also known as "Antipascha." This does not mean
"opposed to Pascha," but "in place of Pascha." Beginning with this
first Sunday after Pascha, the Church dedicates every Sunday of the
year to the Lord's Resurrection. Sunday is called "Resurrection" in
Russian, and "the Lord's Day" in Greek.
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Virginmartyr Pelagia of Tarsus, in Asia Minor
Saint Pelagia of Tarsus in Cilicia (southeastern Asia Minor) lived in
the third century, during the reign of Diocletian (284-305), and was
the daughter of illustrious pagans. When she heard about Jesus Christ
from her Christian friends, she believed in Him and desired to
preserve her virginity, dedicating her whole life to the Lord.
Emperor Diocletian's heir (a boy he adopted), saw the maiden Pelagia,
was captivated by her beauty and wanted her to be his wife. The holy
virgin told the youth that she was betrothed to Christ the Immortal
Bridegroom, and had renounced earthly marriage.
Pelagia's reply greatly angered the young man, but he decided to leave
her in peace for awhile, hoping that she would change her mind. At the
same time, Pelagia convinced her mother to let her visit the nurse who
had raised her in childhood. She secretly hoped to find Bishop Linus
of Tarsus, who had fled to a mountain during a persecution against
Christians, and to be baptized by him. She had seen the face of Bishop
Linus in a dream, which made a profound impression upon her. The holy
bishop told her to be baptized. St Pelagia traveled in a chariot to
visit her nurse, dressed in rich clothes and accompanied by a whole
retinue of servants, as her mother wished.
Along the way St Pelagia, by the grace of God, met Bishop Linus.
Pelagia immediately recognized the bishop who had appeared to her in
the dream. She fell at his feet, requesting Baptism. At the bishop's
prayer a spring of water flowed from the ground.
Bishop Linus made the Sign of the Cross over St Pelagia, and during
the Mystery of Baptism, angels appeared and covered the chosen one of
God with a bright mantle. After giving the pious virgin Holy
Communion, Bishop Linus offered a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord
with her, and then sent her to continue her journey. She then
exchanged her expensive clothing for a simple white garment, and
distributed her possessions to the poor. Returning to her servants, St
Pelagia told them about Christ, and many of them were converted and
believed.
She tried to convert her own mother to Christ, but the obdurate woman
sent a message to Diocletian's son that Pelagia was a Christian and
did not wish to be his wife. The youth realized that Pelagia was lost
to him, and he fell upon his sword in his despair. Pelagia's mother
feared the emperor's wrath, so she tied her daughter up and led her to
Diocletian's court as a Christian who was also responsible for the
death of the heir to the throne. The emperor was captivated by the
unusual beauty of the virgin and tried to turn her from her faith in
Christ, promising her every earthly blessing if she would become his
wife.
The holy virgin refused the emperor's offer with contempt and said,
"You are insane, Emperor, saying such things to me. I will not do your
bidding, and I loathe your vile marriage, since I have Christ, the
King of Heaven, as my Bridegroom. I do not desire your worldly crowns
which last only a short while. The Lord in His heavenly Kingdom has
prepared three imperishable crowns for me. The first is for faith,
since I have believed in the true God with all my heart; the second is
for purity, because I have dedicated my virginity to Him; the third is
for martyrdom, since I want to accept every suffering for Him and
offer up my soul because of my love for Him."
Diocletian sentenced Pelagia to be burned in a red-hot bronze bull.
Not permitting the executioners to touch her body, the holy martyr
signed herself with the Sign of the Cross, and went into the brazen
bull and her flesh melted like myrrh, filling the whole city with
fragrance. St Pelagia's bones remained unharmed and were removed by
the pagans to a place outside the city. Four lions then came out of
the wilderness and sat around the bones letting neither bird nor wild
beast get at them. The lions protected the relics of the saint until
Bishop Linus came to that place. He gathered them up and buried them
with honor. Later, a church was built over her holy relics.
The Service to the holy Virgin Martyr Pelagia of Tarsus says that she
was "deemed worthy of most strange and divine visions." She is also
commemorated on October 7. During the reign of Emperor Constantine
(306-337), when the persecutions against Christians had stopped, a
church was built at St Pelagia's burial place.
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Venerable Alphan with his brother of Novgorod, founder of the
Sokolnitzky Monastery
The Alfanov Brothers Sts Nikita, Cyril, Nicephorus, Clement, Isaac
lived during the fourteenth century at Novgorod. They led a righteous
life and founded the Sokolnitsky monastery. As the chronicles relate,
"A wooden church dedicated to St Nicholas was built on the Sokol hill
and a monastery was founded" in 1389.
The righteous Alfanov (Sokolnitskyie) brothers were kinsmen according
to the chronicler James Anphalov [or Alfanov], who fled to the Dvina
to avoid pursuit because of his dealings with Moscow.
The righteous ones were subjected to misfortune because they were
related to James, and they purified themselves through their innocent
suffering. In the Tale of the brothers, a miracle took place at their
relics.
Their memory is celebrated on May 4 and June 17. As the result of a
fire which destroyed the Sokolnitsky monastery, their holy relics were
transferred to the Antoniev monastery on May 4, 1775.
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St Nikita of Novgorod, Founder of the Sokolnitzky Monastery
Saint Nikita was one of the Alfanov brothers, founders of the
Sokolnitsky monastery in 1389. They are commemorated on May 4 and June
17.
Their holy relics were transferred to the Antoniev monastery on May 4,
1775 because of a fire which destroyed the Sokolnitsky monastery
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St Cyril of Novgorod, founder of the Sokolnitzky Monastery
Saint Cyril was one of the Alfanov brothers, founders of the
Sokolnitsky monastery in 1389. They are commemorated on May 4 and June
17.
Their holy relics were transferred to the Antoniev monastery on May 4,
1775 because of a fire which destroyed the Sokolnitsky monastery.
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St Nicephorus of Novgorod, Founder of the Sokolnitzky
Monastery
Saint Nikephorus was one of the Alfanov brothers, founders of the
Sokolnitsky monastery in 1389. They are commemorated on May 4 and June
17.
Their holy relics were transferred to the Antoniev monastery on May 4,
1775 because of a fire which destroyed the Sokolnitsky monastery
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St Clement of Novgorod, founder of the Sokolnitzky Monastery
Saint Clement was one of the Alfanov brothers, founders of the
Sokolnitsky monastery in 1389. They are commemorated on May 4 and June
17.
Their holy relics were transferred to the Antoniev monastery on May 4,
1775 because of a fire which destroyed the Sokolnitsky monastery
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St Isaac of Novgorod, Founder of the Sokolnitzky Monastery
Saint Isaac was one of the Alfanov brothers, founders of the
Sokolnitsky monastery in 1389. They are commemorated on May 4 and June
17.
Their holy relics were transferred to the Antoniev monastery on May 4,
1775 because of a fire which destroyed the Sokolnitsky monastery
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Hieromartyr Erasmus the Bishop of Formia in Campania
Saint Erasmus zealously served the Lord from his youth. In his mature
years he was consecrated as Bishop of Formium, Italy. During the
persecution against Christians under the emperors Diocletian (284-305)
and Maximian Hercules (284-305), St Erasmus left his diocese and went
to Mount Libanus, where he hid for seven years. Once, however, an
angel appeared to him and said, "Erasmus! No one vanquishes enemies if
he is asleep. Go to your own city, and you shall vanquish your
enemies." Heeding the voice of the angel, St Erasmus left his
seclusion.
The first ones who asked him about his faith were soldiers who met him
along the way. St Erasmus confessed himself a Christian. They brought
him to trial at Antioch before the emperor Diocletian. The saint
fearlessly confessed his faith in Christ and denounced the emperor for
his impiety.
St Erasmus was subjected to fearsome tortures, but remained unbending.
After the tortures the saint was bound in iron chains and thrown into
prison, where an angel appeared in miraculous form, saying, "Follow
after me, I will lead you to Italy. There you shall bring many people
to salvation." St Erasmus preached boldly to the people about Christ
and raised up the son of an illustrious citizen of Lycia.
After this miracle at Lycia 10,000 men were baptized. The emperor of
the Western half of the Roman Empire, Maximian Hercules, gave orders
to seize the saint and bring him to trial. St Erasmus also confessed
his faith before this emperor. They beat him and threatened him with
crucifixion if he did not renounce Christ. They forced him to go to a
temple of the idol, but along the saint's route all the idols fell and
were destroyed, and from the temple there came fire which fell upon
many of the pagans.
After being set free, St Erasmus baptized many pagans, and later went
to the city of Sirmium, where he was seized and subjected to torture.
They seated him in a red-hot oven, but he remained alive and unharmed.
This miracle amazed so many people that the emperor, fearing civil
unrest, retired into his own chambers. The angel freed St Erasmus from
his fetters and took him to the city of Formium, i.e. to his own
diocese, where the saint baptized many more people. The saint died
there in 303. Christians buried the relics of the holy hieromartyr
with honor.
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Hieromartyr Albian the Bishop of Anaea in Asia Minor
Saint Albian was bishop of the city of Aneium in the Aseian district,
and suffered for Christ about the year 304 in a persecution against
Christians under the emperor Diocletian and his co-ruler Maximian. St
Albian was ordered to offer sacrifice to idols under the threat of
death, but he confessed his faith in Christ and refused to serve
idols. They tortured him with red-hot irons and beat him mercilessly,
but he remained unyielding.
They tortured his disciple with him, and he also remained faithful to
the Lord Jesus Christ. Both holy martyrs were sentenced to death and
thrown into a red-hot oven, in which they died, receiving the crowns
of martyrdom.
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Hieromartyr Silvanus the Bishop of Gaza, and with him 40
Martyrs
Saint Silvanus came from the vicinity of the city of Gaza, and was a
soldier. Desiring to serve the heavenly King, he became a priest, and
was consecrated Bishop of Gaza. St Silvanus converted many pagans to
Christ. During the persecution against Christians under the emperor
Diocletian he was taken for trial to the city of Caesarea. He
underwent torture and bravely endured it, and was then sentenced to
harsh labor in the copper mines.
The holy bishop was exhausted by this work, but remained cheerful of
spirit. He incessantly preached Christ to all those around him. This
angered the pagans, who beheaded him.
Forty holy martyrs, who believed in Christ after hearing the words of
the bishop, were also martyred with him. Their death followed in the
year 311.
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40 Martyrs of Gaza with the Hieromartyr Silvanus
Forty holy martyrs, who believed in Christ after hearing the words of
St Silvanus, also died with him. Their death occured in the year 311
under the emperor Diocletian.
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Venerable Nicephorus of Mt. Athos, Albania
Saint Nicephorus was the teacher of St Gregory Palamas (November 14).
He grew up as a Roman Catholic, but he journeyed to the Byzantine
Empire and became Orthodox. St Nicephorus lived as an ascetic on Mount
Athos, and died before the year 1300. His treatise "On Watchfulness
and the Guarding of the Heart" is found in the fourth volume of the
English PHILOKALIA.
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Icon of the Mother of God "Staro Rus" Old Russian
The Staro Rus (Old Russian) Icon of the Mother of God was so named
because for a long time it was in Staro Rus, where it had been brought
by the Greeks from Olviopolis during the very first period of
Christianity in Russia. The icon was in Staro Rus until the
seventeenth century. In 1655 during a plague it was revealed to a
certain inhabitant of the city of Tikhvin that the pestilence would
cease if the wonderworking Staro Rus Icon were transferred there, and
the Tikhvin Icon sent to Staro Rus.
After the transfer of the icons the plague ceased, but the people of
Tikhvin did not return the icon and only in the eighteenth century did
they give permission to make a copy of the Staro Rus Icon, which on
May 4, 1768 was sent to Stara Russa. A feast was established in honor
of this event. On September 17, 1888 the original was also returned to
Staro Rus and a second Feast day established.
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New Martyr Archpriest Vasily Martysz
The holy New Martyr Archpriest Vasily Martysz was born on February 20,
1874 in Tertyn, in the Hrubieszow region of southeastern Poland. His
father Alexander was a judge in Molczyce near Pinsk. After his
retirement, he was ordained a priest and became rector of a local
parish.
EDUCATION
In 1884, at the age of ten, Vasily made a brief trip to New York with
his father. His beautiful singing during a church service attracted
the attention of Bishop Vladimir. The hierarch prophesied that young
Vasily would become a priest, and promised that he would invite him to
his diocese in America once he was ordained. After returning to his
country, he remembered the bishop's words, and decided to follow in
his father's footsteps and become a priest. He began his theological
education at the seminary in Chelm, where the rector was Bishop Tikhon
(Belavin), the future Patriarch of Moscow.
Immediately after graduating in July 1899, Vasily married Olga Nowik,
and was ordained a deacon. On December 10, 1900 he was ordained a
priest. That same month he left Breman for America. The young couple
expected to be assigned to a parish in New York, but instead he was
appointed to a parish in Alaska. Together with the newly-appointed
Bishop Tikhon, he began his missionary service in the land of St
Herman. AMERICA
Orthodoxy had arrived in Alaska with the coming of the monastic
mission from Valaam in 1794. At the start of the twentieth century,
climatic and social conditions in this vast territory remained
difficult. In his pastoral work, Fr Vasily met Russian settlers and
indigenous inhabitants of the region, Eskimos and Aleuts. He also
encountered gold rush pioneers quite often..
Fr Vasily's first parish was extensive. He was headquartered on
Afognak, but he was also responsible for the people on Spruce and
Woody Islands near Kodiak. There were several small wooden chapels
scattered on these islands. In 1901, as a result of his efforts, the
church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Virgin was built at Afognak
(Although the village was completely destroyed in the earthquake and
tidal wave of 1964, the church building survives to this day).
Because of the long distances and severe climate, Fr Vasily's priestly
work was extremely difficult and required many sacrifices. Often he
would leave home for several weeks, in order to celebrate the
services, to confess, baptize, marry the living, and to bury the dead,
while traveling in a specially constructed kayak.
Even when he was at home, Fr Vasily had very little time to devote to
his dear family. Besides celebrating the services in church and
serving the needs of his parishioners, he taught in the parish school
and worked in two church homes for the poor. His family bore the
arduous conditions, especially the climate, with difficulty. His wife
Olga, who had given birth to two daughters, stayed home. The older
daughter, Vera, was born at Afognak in 1902. Their second daughter was
born two years later, after they had moved to Kodiak.
During his missionary service in Alaska, Fr Vasily kept a diary. It
has survived to this day as one of the few records of his personal
life. Fragments have been translated from Russian and published in
Polish.
Because of the severe Alaskan climate, which especially affected
Matushka Olga, and out of concern for the education of their children,
the Martysz family transferred to the continental United States in
1906. As a farewell statement from Alaska that year, Fr Vasily wrote
an article for the Russian Orthodox American Messenger, "The Voice
from Alaska," in which he appealed to Orthodox faithful across the USA
to support the building of Orthodox churches in Alaska.
The family settled in Osceola Mills in central Pennsylvania. Their
first son, Vasily, was born that same year, and their youngest child
Helen was born in 1908, soon after they moved to Old Forge, PA. Fr
Vasily's work took him to Waterbury, CT, to West Troy, NY, and finally
to Canada. He was assigned to Edmonton and then to Vostok, where he
became Dean of the provinces of Alberta and Manitoba. In 1910, he
celebrated his tenth anniversary in the priesthood. His prolific and
loving pastoral activity endeared him to his flock. Church authorities
considered him a very effective, devoted and talented priest, while
the faithful loved him sincerely, valuing his modesty and kindness.
Despite their comfortable lifestyle and the relatively large Orthodox
community they served in western Canada, the couple longed for their
homeland. They feared the loss of their ancestral identity and
requested permission to return to Poland. After serving nearly twelve
years in America, Fr Martysz left the New World and returned to Europe
in 1912.
RETURN
Initially, Fr Vasily and his family lived with relatives in Sosnowiec,
where he eventually became rector of the parish and instructor in
Religious Education at the local girls' high school. The peaceful life
they enjoyed there lasted barely one year, since the outbreak of the
First World war disrupted the lives of thousands. Clergy were
considered civil servants who were ordered to evacuate their homes,
and move to safety inside Russia. At this critical time, Bishop
Vladimir, their Archpastor and friend from Alaska, offered the Martysz
family refuge in a small apartment within the St Andronicus Monastery
in Moscow. From here, Fr Vasily commuted daily to the distant parish
at Valdai, where he taught religious education classes. When the
Bolsheviks seized power, he lost this job and was forced to earn a
living unloading railroad cars. His own life was endangered because
Red Army soldiers often treated clergy with distinct brutality.
In 1919, at the end of the war, Polish refugees were granted
permission to return to their former residences. Fr Vasily and his
family took this opportunity to return to Sosnowiec. They moved back
into their former apartment, which had survived the devastation of the
war. They did not remain long, however, for that September Fr Vasily
was assigned to a position in the newly organized Polish Army, in
charge of Orthodox Affairs in the Religious Ministry of the War
Department. The whole family relocated to Warsaw. Fr Vasily started
the wearisome but important work of forming an Orthodox military
chaplaincy. In 1921, he was promoted to the rank of colonel, and
assumed responsibility as the head of the Orthodox military
chaplaincy. At this time, the church elevated him to the rank of
Archpriest. Fr Vasily served as chief of Orthodox chaplains for the
next twenty-five years. Within the Ministry of the Interior, he had
his own cabinet, and was directly responsible to the Minister himself.
AUTOCEPHALY
Fr Vasily was also a chief advisor and close colleague of Metropolitan
George (Jaroszewski) of Warsaw and all Poland. He participated in
preparing all the meetings of the Holy Synod, and assisted
Metropolitan George in his effort to obtain autocephaly for the Polish
Orthodox Church. He accompanied the Metropolitan on the tragic day of
February 8, 1923, when he was assassinated. The assassin had also
planned to kill Fr Vasily as well, but he was captured before he could
succeed. Fr Vasily remained under police protection for some time, but
attended to all the details of the Metropolitan's funeral, in which
the First Regiment of the Szwolezers Regiment participated under
orders from Marshal Jozef Pilsudski.
Fr Vasily zealously participated in the subsequent process of
obtaining autocephaly for the Orthodox Church in Poland, which was
granted during the tenure of Metropolitan Dionysius (Walednski) in
1925. Fr Vasily became the Metropolitan's closest advisor and
confidant. He often accompanied the Metropolitan and acted as liaison
with the Polish Head of State, Marshal Pilsudski. He was often invited
to attend cabinet meetings at Belvedere, the Royal Castle, where he
regularly signed the guest book on holidays.
In addition to his work as chief military chaplain, Fr Vasily devoted
much time to organizing pastoral ministry in the Ukrainian internment
camps. In February 1921, Fr Vasily appointed Fr Peter Biton as
chaplain for the camp in Aleksandrow Kujawski. He visited the
Ukrainian internees himself and helped arrange camp churches. On July
8, 1921, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian language
for over 5,000 prisoners, while visiting this camp. His sermon,
delivered in Ukrainian, greatly improved their morale. He also
assisted in organizing chaplains' training courses in other Ukrainian
army camps.
The Polish Secretary of the Army, Lucjan Zeligowski sent a
congratulatory letter to Father Vasily on the occasion of the
twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination, December 7, 1925, stating
"The virtues of this remarkably talented, conscientious and diligent
servant, completely devoted to the Polish nation, expressed in his
receiving a high distinction, the Order of Polonia Restituta, which is
conferred upon him for his efforts in securing the Autocephaly of the
Orthodox Church in Poland."
Father Vasily retired from his government position in 1936. The couple
decided to leave Warsaw and return to their home region,
Hrubieszowszczna. They built two houses in Teratyn, one for themselves
and another for their widowed mothers. They did not enjoy this
peaceful life for very long, because in 1939 the German Army invaded
Poland. The village gradually declined. Both of their mothers died.
Matushka herself did not live to see the end of the war, but died in
1943. Then Father Vasily's youngest daughter, Helen, moved into his
house with her husband and daughter in order to support him.
Father Martysz spent the difficult war years in Teratyn. On May 4,
1945 (Great and Holy Friday), a few days before the surrender of Nazi
Germany, his house was attacked. A female acquaintance warned him of
the danger, but he replied, "I have done no harm to anyone and I will
not run away from anyone. Christ did not run away." Father Vasily did
not fear and did not flee from his tormentors. He faced them bravely,
in a Christ-like way, accepting the crown of martyrdom. The villains,
seeking gold and money, had no respect for his uniform as a colonel in
the Polish Army, nor for his priestly vestments.
MARTYRDOM
The bandits broke into the house by breaking a window. With callous
cruelty they tortured Father Vasily though his only crime was that he
was an Orthodox priest. They beat his pregnant daughter Helen, causing
her to miscarry. They beat Father Vasily for four hours, reviving him
by throwing water on him when he lost consciousness. Horribly
tortured, he was finally murdered by a gun shot. The criminals
threatened to shoot Helen as well, When she knelt before the icon of
Christ and began to pray, the executioner's aim and resolve weakened.
They left, threatening to return and kill her as well.
On Great and Holy Saturday, Father John Lewczuk celebrated the burial
rites for Father Vasily in Chelm. He was buried at the local cemetery
in Teratyn.
In October 1963, the earthly remains of Father Vasily Martysz were
brought to Warsaw and solemnly reinterred in the Orthodox cemetery in
the Wola district, next to his wife and mother-in-law. At the
beginning of 2003, his holy relics were uncovered and placed in the
church of St John Climacus in Warsaw. The Holy Synod of the
Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Poland promulgated the official Act
of Canonization on March 20, 2003, and the rites glorifying St Vasily
Martysz were celebrated in Chelm on June 7-8.
Orthodox Christians in the Polish Army have taken St Vasily Martysz as
their heavenly patron. They martyrdom of St Vasily was the crowning
accomplishment of his pious and dedicated life, a testimony to his
amazing courage. He carried his cross to the end without complaint,
accepting the crown of martyrdom as he had dedicated his life to
Christ and the Holy Orthodox Faith.
Written by Jaroslaw Charkiewicz
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St Monica
Saint Monica, the mother of St Augustine of Hippo (June 15), was born
in 322 in Tagaste, North Africa. Her parents were Christians, but
little is known of her early life. Most of our information about her
comes from Book IX of her son's CONFESSIONS.
St Monica was married to a pagan official named Patritius, who had a
short temper and lived an immoral life. At first, her mother-in-law
did not like her, but Monica won her over by her gentle disposition.
Unlike many women of that time, she was never beaten by her husband.
She said that Patritius never raised his hand against her because she
always held her tongue, setting a guard over her mouth in his
presence. (Ps. 38/39:1).
St Monica and Patritius had three children: St Augustine, Navigius and
Perpetua. It was a source of great sorrow to her that Patritius would
not permit them to be baptized. She worried about Augustine, who lived
with a young woman in Carthage and had an illegitimate son with her.
Her constant prayers and tears for her son had the effect of
converting her husband to Christ before his death. Augustine, however,
continued on the path that led away from Christ.
While in Carthage, Augustine fell under the influence of the heretical
Manichean sect. His mother was horrified and tried to turn him away
from his error. She had a dream in which she was told to be patient
and gentle with her son. Augustine, however, paid little attention to
her arguments, and remained in his delusion for nine years. St Monica
must have felt disheartened and disappointed, but she never gave up on
him. She even tried to enlist the help of a bishop who had once been a
Manichean himself, but he would not dispute with Augustine. He said he
couldn't reason with the young man, because he was still attracted by
the novelty of the heresy. He did reassure her saying, "Go on your
way, and God bless you, for it is not possible that the son of these
tears should be lost."
St Monica went to Rome with Augustine when he lectured there in 383.
Later, he received an appointment to Milan, where he met St Ambrose
(December 7) and was greatly impressed by his preaching. Bishop
Ambrose came to have a high regard for St Monica, and often
congratulated Augustine on having such a virtuous mother.
One day Augustine was reading the New Testament in a garden, and came
to Romans 13:12-14. There and then Augustine decided to "cast off the
works of darkness," and to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." He was
baptized on the eve of Pascha in 387.
After his baptism, Augustine and his mother planned to return to
Africa. They stopped to rest in Ostia, where St Monica fell asleep in
the Lord at the age of fifty-six. She was buried at Ostia, and her
holy relics were transferred to the crypt of a church in the sixth
century. Nine centuries later, St Monica's relics were translated to
Rome.
In the West, St Monica is considered the patron saint of wives and
mothers whose husbands or sons have gone astray.
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