2014-November Sacred Lessons

S T K O S M A S & S T D A M I A N O S - U N M E R C E N A R Y P H Y S I C I A N S - A S I A M I N O R 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
1

Gr e e k Or t h o d o x Pa t r i a r c h a t e o f Al e x a n d r i a & Al l Af r i c a
AL L GL ORY , HONOU R AND WORS H I P T O T HE FAT HE R , AND T O T HE S ON, AND T O T HE HOL Y S P I RI T , NOW AND FORE VE R , AND U NT O T HE AGE S OF
AGE S . AME N
RE ME MB E R I NG AL S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU RE , MOS T BL E S S E D AND GL ORI OU S L ADY , MAR Y ,
T HE OT OK OS Y E T E VE R VI RGI N, T OGE T HE R WI T H AL L T HE S A I NT S . AND L E T U S COMMI T OU RS E L VE S AND ON E
ANOT HE R AND OU R WHOL E L I F E T O CHRI S T OU R GOD. AME N .
1 NOVEMBER 2014
St Ko s ma s & St Da mi a n o s St Ko s ma s & St Da mi a n o s St Ko s ma s & St Da mi a n o s St Ko s ma s & St Da mi a n o s
HOLY UNMERCENARY PHYSI CI ANS OF ASI A MI NOR

AL S O T HE FEAS T OF ST T HE ODOT A ( MOT HER OF ST KOS MAS & ST DAMI ANOS ) ST DAVI D T HE
RI GHT E OUS OF EVI A ST J OHN T HE BI S HOP AND ST J AMES T HE PRE S BY T E R OF PER S I A ST
CY RENI A & ST J UL I ANA OF CI L I CI A ST HERMENI NGI L DA, PRI NCE OF T HE GOT HS OF SP AI N
ST CAES ARI OS , ST DACI OS , ST SAVV A, ST ADR I AN, ST SABI NI AN, ST AGRI P PA & ST T HOMAS OF
DAMAS CUS ST JAMES OF KAS T ORI A, ST J AME S T HE DEACON & ST DI ONY S I OS , HI S
DI S CI PL ES , OF PR ODROMOU MONAS T ERY , MOUNT AT HOS

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N T H E H O L Y U N M E R C E N A R I E S T O N E P L A G A L 4
Agii Anargiri ke Thavmatourgi, episkepsasthe tas
astheneias imon: dorean elavete, dorean dote
imin!
Sainted Unmercenaries and Wonder Workers,
regard our infirmities; freely you have received,
freely share with us.
F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N T H E H O L Y U N M E R C E N A R I E S
I tin Harin lavontes ton iamaton, efaploute tin
rosin tis en anagkes, Iatri Thavmatourgi endoxi.
Alla ti imon episkepsi, ke ton polemion ta thrasi
katavallete, TON KOSMON IOMENI EN TIS
THAVMASI.
You received the Grace of Healing, and thus
extend health to those in need, O Glorious
Wonder Working Physicians. We pray that by
Your Visitation You will also bring down the
insolence of our enemies, and that YOU WILL
CURE THE WORLD BY YOUR MIRACLES.
K O N T A K I O N O F T H E E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S
Prostasia ton Hristianon akateskhinte, mesitia pros ton
Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon
fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon,
ton pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is presvian, ke
spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton
Timonton Se.

O Protector of the Christians Unashamable, Mediator to
the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading
voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the
Aid of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed
up Thine Intercession, and present Thy Supplication,
O Theotokos who always protects all those who
honour Thee!
F E S T A L P R OK E I ME N ON
The Saints that are in His Land, the Lord has Magnified
I have set the Lord always before me
T H E F I R S T E P I S T L E OF S T P A U L T O T H E COR I N T H I A N S 1 2 : 2 7 13 : 8
L O V E , A D I V I N E A N D E V E R L A S T I N G G I F T T H A T I S S U P E R I O R T O A L L O T H E R G I F T S
Brethren: you are the Body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the Church:
first Apostles, second Prophets, third Teachers, after that Miracles, then Gifts of Healing, Helps,
Administrations, varieties of Tongues (languages).
Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets? Are all Teachers? Are all workers of Miracles? Do all have Gifts of
Healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best Gifts. And yet I show
you a more excellent way. Although I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, but have not Love,
I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And although I have the Gift of Prophecy, and
understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge, and although I have all Faith so that I could remove
mountains, but have not Love, I am nothing! And although I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
although I give my body to be burnt, but have not Love, it profits me nothing!
Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not
behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. Love bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things and endures all things. Love never fails! But whether there are Prophecies, they
will fail. Whether there are tongues, they will cease. Whether there is Knowledge, it will vanish away.
THERE IS A HIERARCHY OF HONOUR IN THE HOLY CHURCH OF
THE NEW COVENANT TO THIS DAY.
THE APOSTOLIC WORK THAT OF THE BISHOP SETS THE PACE
FOR ALL THE REST. When the oversight of the Bishop is
in order i.e. the supervision of the Bishop the rest of
the Holy Church is free to function at its optimal level.
However, even with all the Divine Gifts in place and
operative, there is SOMETHING EVEN MORE EXCELLENT
and that IS THE LOVE OF GOD AGAPE WHICH IS THE
TRUE SIGN OF THE PRESENCE OF THE LIFE-GIVING, ALL
HOLY SPIRIT.
8 St Basil the Great taught us that THERE ARE THREE
REASONS ALL BIBLICAL AND ALL GOD-GIVEN THAT
WE FOLLOW THE LORD:

F E A R
P R O V E R B S 1 : 7 The Fear of God is THE
BEGINNING OF WISDOM.
O B E D I E N C E a recognition that BECAUSE HE IS GOD
WE MUST FOLLOW HIM.
A C T S 5 : 2 9 ... Peter and the other Apostles
answered: WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD RATHER THAN
MEN...
L O V E
1 J O H N 4 : 1 9 We Love Him (God) because HE
FIRST LOVED US.
Furthermore, WHILE WE MUST AIM TO DO ALL THINGS OUT OF
LOVE, WE MUST ALSO NOT CEASE FEARING I.E.
RESPECTING GOD AND (WILLINGLY) OBEYING HIM.
To any church that is preoccupied with the speaking of
tongues different languages ST PAUL TAUGHT THE
ULTIMATE DIVINE GIFT THAT OF DIVINE LOVE AGAPE..
S T K O S M A S & S T D A M I A N O S - U N M E R C E N A R Y P H Y S I C I A N S - A S I A M I N O R 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
2
8 DIVINE OR GODLY LOVE OUTSHINES PROPHECY AND ALL
FAITH because it is of far greater value and
Spiritual Benefit than the miraculous ability to
remove mountains!
OUR LORD JESUS URGED US TO GIVE TO THE POOR AND TO
LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR OTHERS.
HOWEVER: EVEN SUCH A SELFLESS ACT OF HOLY MARTYRDOM
AND PERSONAL SACRIFICE THAT IS DONE WITHOUT LOVE
WILL PROFIT US ABSOLUTELY NOTHING it will be a
wasted effort because IT IS NOT COMPELLED, FULFILLED
OR MOTIVATED BY LOVE FOR OTHERS AND ESPECIALLY FOR
GOD.
8 This particular passage explains THE SPECIFIC
CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE LOVE DIVINE GODLY LOVE
- AGAPE:
LOVE IS PATIENT, KIND AND GENTLE, especially with
those who are hurt.
1 T H E S S A L O N I A N S 5 : 1 4 We exhort you,
Brethren: WARN those who are unruly, COMFORT
the faint-hearted, UPHOLD the weak, BE PATIENT
WITH ALL.
E P H E S I A N S 4 : 3 2 ... BE KIND to one another,
TENDER-HEARTED, FORGIVING each other, even
AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGIVES YOU.)
LOVE DOES NOT ENVY AND IS NOT JEALOUS of what others
have.
P R O V E R B S 2 3 : 1 7 DO NOT let your heart ENVY
SINNERS, but BE IN FEAR OF THE LORD the whole
day long.
LOVE DOES NOT PARADE ITSELF or put itself on display.
J O H N 3 : 3 0 He (Christ) must increase, but I (St
John the Baptist) MUST DECREASE.
LOVE IS NOT PUFFED UP or arrogant or proud.
G A L A T I A N S 6 : 3 ... If anyone thinks himself to
be something, when he is nothing, HE
DECEIVES HIMSELF.
LOVE DOES NOT ACT RUDELY or brashly, mean-spiritedly
nor does it insult anyone.
E C C L E S I A S T E S 5 : 2 The voice of a senseless
man is with a multitude of words.
LOVE DOES NOT SEEK ITS OWN WAY or act forcefully
1 C O R I N T H I A N S 1 0 : 2 4 : Let no one SEEK his
own, but each one the OTHERS WELL-BEING.
LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS it copes with burdensome
things or all difficulties of daily life.
G A L A T I A N S 6 : 2 BEAR EACH OTHERS BURDENS,
AND SO FULFIL THE LAW OF CHRIST.
LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS AND TRUSTS IN GOD no matter
what the circumstances or what happens.
P R O V E R B S 3 : 5 TRUST IN GOD with all your
heart.)
LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS: it keeps looking upwards,
does not despair and is always optimistic
P H I L I P P I A N S 3 : 1 3 ... Forgetting those things
that are behind, and REACHING FORWARD to
those things that are ahead.
LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS: it puts up with everything
and does not wear out.
G A L A T I A N S 6 : 9 ... Grow not weary while
doing good, for IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP, if
we do not lose heart.
The only thing that Love cannot do is fail!
1 C O R I N T H I A N S 1 6 : 1 4 : Let all that you do
be DONE WITH LOVE.
THE DIVINE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, as wonderful as they
are, ARE MERELY TEMPORARY AND INCOMPLETE. They are
FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS LIFE ONLY, while we are still
Spiritual Children Spiritually Immature.
8 However, DIVINE LOVE IS ETERNAL, COMPLETE AND
FULFILLING, AND IT CONTINUES INTO THE AGE TO COME
ETERNAL LIFE.
T H E HOL Y GOS P E L ACCOR D I N G T O S T L U K E 1 2 : 2 - 12
A V O I D T H E F A T A L S I N O F H Y P O C R I S Y
At that time, our Lord Jesus Christ said: ... there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden
that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the Light,
and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
And I say to you, My Friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more
they can do. But I will show you Whom you should fear: fear Him Who, after He has killed, has Power
to cast into Hell. Yes! I say to you: fear Him!
Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the
very hairs of your heard are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many
sparrows.
Also I say to you: whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the
Angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the Angels of God.
And, anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven, but to him who blasphemes
against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven!
Now, when they bring you to the Synagogues and Magistrates and Authorities, do not worry about how
or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very
hour what your ought to say.
Whom you should fear refers to God.
PROVERBS 9 : 10 ; The Fear of the Lord is the
beginning of Wisdom, and the Counsel of the
Saints is Understanding; for to know the Law
is characteristic of a good mind.
THE BODY WILL DIE EVENTUALLY, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
St Ambrose even stated that the death of the body is not
itself a punishment, but rather it marks the end of
earthly punishments.
THE SOUL CONTINUES FOR ALL ETERNITY.
Since GOD IS THE DIVINE JUDGE OF OUR IMMORTAL SOUL, our
efforts in this temporary world are to please Him
alone.
To say a word against the Son of Man is to reject our Lord
Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
Our Saviour was regarded as being merely a human
being by some people before their conversion.
The scandal caused by the Incarnation and Crucifixion
of the Son of God makes this sin more easily forgiven.
1 CORI NTHI ANS 1 : 23 ... we preach Christ
crucified to the Hebrews a stumbling block
and to the Greeks foolishness.
The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, is without bodily form
and invisibly works His Divine Goodness.
According to St John Chrysostom and many other Holy
Church Fathers, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
would be forgivable if the sinner were to repent of it.
Our Lord Jesus never called the sin itself unforgivable
However, He made this declaration knowing that THOSE
WHO BLASPHEME GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT REGARD THE
ABSOLUTELY PURE, DIVINE GOODNESS AS EVIL AND THEY
ARE USUALLY BEYOND REPENTANCE BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN
FREE CHOICES.
T H E E T E R N A L , I N S P I R E D WI S D OM OF OU R HOL Y CH U R CH F A T H E R S
S T MA R K T H E A S C E T I C
Do not seek the Perfection of the Law in human Virtues,
for it is not found Perfect in them. Its Perfection is
hidden in the Cross of Christ.

S T N I K O L A I
Be servants of the One Who Illuminates you with the sun
on the outside and with Himself on the inside, and you
will taste the Sweetness of Eternal Youth.
S T . A U G U S T I N E
As the flesh is nourished by food, so is man supported
by Prayers.
2 1 A P - 5
T H
S T L U K E R I C H M A N & P O O R L A Z A R O S 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 3.

AGE S . AME N
RE ME MB E R I NG A L S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU RE , MOS T BL E S S E D AND GL OR I OU S
L ADY , MA RY , T H E OT OK OS Y E T E VE R VI RGI N, T OGE T HE R WI T H AL L T H E S AI NT S . AND
L E T U S COMMI T OU RS E L VE S AND ON E ANOT H E R AND OU R WHOL E L I F E T O CHR I S T
OU R GOD. AME N .
2 NOVEMBER 2014
21ST SUNDAY AFT ER PENTECOST
TONE 4
5TH SUNDAY OF ST LUKE THE RI CH MAN & POOR LAZAROS

AL S O T HE FE AS T OF T HE SYNAXI S OF T HE HOL Y UNME RCE NARI E S - ST
ACI NDY NOS , ST PEGAS I AS , ST APHT ONI OS , ST EL PI DEPHOROS , ST
ANEMP ODI S T OS & 7000 OT HE R MART Y RS OF PE RS I A ST MARCI ANOS OF
CY RRHOS ST T HEODOR OS T HE NEW MART Y R

R E S U R R E C T I O N A P O L Y T I K I O N T O N E 4
To fedron tis Anastaseos Kirigma ek tou Angelou
Mathouse e tou Kyriou Mathitrie ke tin Progonikin
apofasin aporipsase, tis Apostolis kafhomene elegon.
Eskilefte O Thanatos, igerthi Hristos O Theos,
doroumenos to kosmo to Mega Eleos.

When the Women Disciples of the Lord had learnt from
the Angels the Glad Tidings of the Resurrection that
had cast away the Condemnation of their Forefather,
they spoke exultingly to the Apostles: Death is no
more! Christ-God is Risen, granting to the world
Great Mercy.
F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N S Y N A X I S - H O L Y U N M E R C E N A R I E S
Athlofori Kyriou, Makaria i Gi, i pianthisa tis emasin
imon, ke Agie e skine, e dexamene ta pnevmata imon.
En Stadio gar ton ehthrib ethriamvevsate, ke Hriston
meta parrisias ekirixate. Afton os Agathon iketevsate,
sothine deometha tas psihas imon.
O Athletes of the Lord, Blessed is the Earth that drank
your blood, and Holy are the Tabernacles that
received Your spirit; for in the Stadium You
proclaimed Christ with boldness. Beseech Him, we
pray, since He is Good, to Save our soul.
K O N T A K I O N O F T H E E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S
Prostasia ton Hristianon akateskhinte, mesitia pros ton
Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon Deiseon
fonas, alla profthason os Agathi, is tin voithian imon,
ton Pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is Presvian, ke
spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton
timonton Se.
O Protection of the Christians unashamable, Mediation
to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading
voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the
Aid of all who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed up
Thine Intercession, and press on Thy Supplication, O
Theotokos who forever protects all those who
honour Thee!
R E S U R R E C T I O N GO S P E L 1 0 J O H N 2 1 : 1 - 1 4
O U R R E S U R R E C T E D L O R D J E S U S S P E A K S W I T H S T M A R Y O F M A G D A L A
P R O K E I M E N O N
O Lord, how manifold art Thy Works! In Wisdom Thou hast made them all!
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
T H E E P I S T L E O F S T P A U L T O T H E GA L A T I A N S 2 : 1 6 - 2 0
T H E S O U R C E O F F A I T H I S C H R I S T
Brethren: knowing that a man is not Justified by the words of the Law, but by Faith in Jesus Christ, even we
have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be Justified by Faith in Christ and not by the Works of the
Law; for by the Works of the Law no flesh shall be Justified.
But if, while we seek to be Justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found (to be) sinners, is Christ therefore a
Minister of sin? Certainly not!
For if I build again those thing that I have destroyed, I make myself a transgressor, for I through the Law
died to the Law that I might Live in God. I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live, but
Christ Who Lives in me; and the Life that I now Live in the flesh I live by Faith in the Son of God, Who
Loves me and Who gave Himself for me.
Faith in Christ is grammatically parallel to ... the Works of
the Law and should be translated ... the Faith of
Jesus Christ.
The Faith of Jesus Christ is His Holy Gospel.
As the Source of Works is the Law, so the Source of Faith is
our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
It is the Faith of Christ His Beliefs, His Trust, His
Obedience that Justifies us, not our Faith as such.
Christs Faith is seen in His entire Life on earth, not in just
a few of His Crucial Works.
The expression By Christ should be IN CHRIST.
Justification is not merely legal but actual effected by
our real, personal Union with Christ in His Glorified
human Nature.
That we could be found to be sinners shows this Holy
Union with Christ never takes away our free will, and
it explains how some defected to Judaism.
...Those things which I destroyed... are the Works of the
Law that St Paul destroyed in the sense of proving
their ineffectiveness for our Eternal Salvation.
The real transgressors are those who try to reinstitute the
Hebrew Law the Old Covenant Law.
We die through the Law not bypassing or
dishonouring it, but by recognising that it is Holy and
that we deserve its consequences, which is death
and that we voluntarily die to the Law through our
death with Christ.
BEING CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST THROUGH OUR HOLY BAPTISM, WE
COME ALIVE TO THE LAW OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH PERFECTS
THE INTENTION OF THE OLD COVENANT LAW.
There is no contradiction between the Law and the Holy
Gospel.
The Law is ... Holy and Just and Good... [ROMANS 7 : 12]
However, THE LAW IS weak and obsolete for it is FULFILLED IN
THE HOLY GOSPEL IT IS FULFILLED IN CHRIST HIMSELF.
[ROMANS:3 & HEBREWS 8:13]
4. 2 1 A P - 5
T H
S T L U K E R I C H M A N & P O O R L A Z A R O S 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
T H E H O L Y GO S P E L A C C O R D I N G T O S T L U K E 1 6 : 1 9 - 3 1 - 2 1
T H E R I C H M A N & P O O R L A Z A R O S
At that time, our Lord Jesus Christ said: There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine
linen and who fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazaros, who was
full of sores and who lay at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich mans
table. And dogs went and licked his sores.
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the Angels to Abrahams Bosom.
The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw
Abraham afar off, and Lazaros in his Bosom.
Then he cried: O Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazaros so that he may dip the tip of his
finger in water and to cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this Flame!
And Abraham replied: Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise
Lazarus received evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this,
between us and you there is a great Gulf fixed so that those who want to pass from her to you cannot,
nor can those from there pass to us.
Then the formerly rich man said: I beg you therefore, Father, that you send him to my fathers house -
for I have five brothers - so that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.
And Abraham answered: They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them! and he said: No,
Father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will Repent.
But Abraham said to him: If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded by
one risen from the dead!
When our Lord Jesus described the Rich Man being ...
clothed in purple and fine linen... AND EATING
EXTRAVAGANTLY EVERY DAY, HIS AUDIENCE IMMEDIATELY
UNDERSTOOD THE EXTREME WEALTH that he possessed
and with which he indulged himself.
ONLY KINGS, INFLUENTIAL RULERS AND THE VERY AFFLUENT WORE
ROBES THAT WERE DYED PURPLE.
Purple dye was produced from the mucus of the
hypobranchial gland of various species of marine
mollusks - notably murex - and it took approximately
12,000 shellfish to extract 1.5 grams of the pure dye
(purpura).
Furthermore, IT WAS ALSO EXTREMELY COSTLY TO PRODUCE
FINELY WOVEN LINEN.
In addition, THE CONSUMPTION OF SUCH LAVISH MEALS
EVERY DAY WAS ALSO EVIDENCE OF MUCH PROSPERITY
AND DECADENCE since others ate very simple meals of
basic foods whatever they could either grow
themselves or were able to purchase at the
marketplace.
Meat and any other extravagant dishes would be served
only on very special occasions and then only by those
who were able to afford them.
OUR LORD JESUS ALWAYS CONTRASTED HIS SACRED
LESSONS WITH EXTREME AND OPPOSITE SCENARIOS, AND
IN THIS TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE TWO MEN S
CIRCUMSTANCES, He brings our attention to the
complete opposite of the rich mans self-indulgent
lifestyle - to that of the destitute and suffering beggar
lying so patiently at his gate.
ACCORDING TO HIS DIVINE NATURE BEING GOD - CHRIST
KNEW THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF POOR LAZAROS AND
THAT HE HAD BEEN CARRIED BY ANGELS TO THE
COMFORTING BOSOM OF ABRAHAM, WHICH REVEALED
THAT LAZAROS HAD ACCEPTED HIS LIFE WITH PATIENT
GRATITUDE TO GOD AND NEVER COMPLAINED ABOUT HIS
SAD SITUATION.
The ancient Patriarch, ST ABRAHAM, WAS MENTIONED BY
CHRIST AMONG ALL THE RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE IN STARK
CONTRAST TO THE RICH MAN, ST ABRAHAM HAD
ALWAYS SHOWN WELCOMING AND GENEROUS
HOSPITALITY TO ALL STRANGERS EVEN THE HOLY
TRINITY. ( RE FE R GE NES I S 1 8: 1 8 )
On the contrary, THE RICH MAN WHO LIVED SUCH A LAVISH,
THOUGHTLESS EXISTENCE, SUFFERED INDESCRIBABLE ...
TORMENTS IN HADES... WHILE BEING ABLE TO SEE THE
RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE WHO RESTED PEACEFULLY IN THE
COMFORT OF ABRAHAMS BOSOM
Abrahams bosom was a Foretaste of Heaven and the place
of Peaceful Repose for Gods Faithful people until Christ
descended into Hades, smashed open the imprisoning
gates and set the Righteous free to rest in the re-opened
Paradise until the General Resurrection and the Final
Judgement at His Second Coming His visible, physical
Reappearance.
Christ mentioned that THE RICH MAN HAD BEEN BURIED,
which our Holy Fathers regard as ILLUSTRATING THE
STATE OF HIS THOUGHTLESS, UNCARING AND MERCILESS
SOUL WHICH WAS BURIED BY THE PLEASURES OF HIS SELF-
INDULGENT FLESH.
In other words, THE RICH MAN WAS ALREADY BURIED
DURING HIS LIFETIME by his ... couches, rugs,
furnishings, sweet oils, perfumes, large quantities of
wine, varieties of food, and his many flatterers... (St
John Chrysostom)
In addition, THE FACT THAT CHRIST DID NOT IDENTIFY THE
RICH MAN BY NAME, INDICATES THAT HE WAS
ULTIMATELY FORGOTTEN BY EVERYONE.
PSALM 9:6: Thou rebukes the Nations, and the
ungodly man destroys himself; Thou blot out
their names in their lifetime and unto ages of
ages...
ALTHOUGH THE NAMES OF THE UNGODLY ARE FORGOTTEN, THEIR
WICKED AND UNREPENTED DEEDS WILL BE EXPOSED AND JUDGED
BY GOD because EVERYTHING WILL BE EXPOSED BY HIS
DIVINE LIGHT AND TRUTH AT THE FINAL JUDGEMENT
ON THE EIGHTH DAY THE BEGINNING OF ETERNITY.
THE RICH MAN S DESPERATE APPEAL TO ST ABRAHAM AS A
SPIRITUAL FATHER WAS NOT REJECTED, for he
addressed the tormented man as Son, AND SPOKE TO
HIM WITH COMPASSION BY EXPLAINING THE TRUTH AND
REALITY OF THE SPIRITUAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THOSE
ALREADY IN HADES (I.E. BEFORE THE HARROWING OF HADES BY OUR CRUCIFIED
CHRIST) THE TORMENTED AND THE REPOSED - AND THOSE
WHO WERE STILL ALIVE ON EARTH.
The great Gulf is not a physical or geographical divide
but THE COMPLETE SEPARATION BETWEEN VIRTUE AND
VICE goodness and wickedness AN IRREVOCABLE
SEPARATION THAT CANNOT BE OVERCOME OR CORRECTED
AFTER DEATH.
It is of great significance that NOT EVEN THE TORMENTS HE
SUFFERED IN HADES HAD CHANGED THE RICH MAN S
HEART because he still regarded poor Lazaros as a
mere servant who existed to fulfil the Rich Mans own
selfish bidding and desires!
In other words, NOT EVEN THE TORMENTS OF HADES CAN
CHANGE A STUBBORN, SELF-SEEKING SINNER!
THIS SACRED LESSON OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST REVEALS
TO US THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS: a man who was not
even a faithful servant of God called out for mercy
from Hades and conversed with St Abraham!
Some scholars see this After-death account as being set
after the Final Judgement of Christ, citing the
Punishment and Reward that will be received by the
two men respectively.
However, OUR HOLY CHURCH FATHERS REGARD THIS
ACCOUNT AS BEING DURING A TIME AFTER DEATH BUT
BEFORE THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, AS EVIDENCED
BY THE MAN INTERCEDING ON BEHALF OF HIS FIVE
BROTHERS WHO WERE STILL ALIVE.
The multiple Torments the Rich Man experienced would
be merely A HIDEOUS FORETASTE OF HIS FINAL
JUDGEMENT AND SPIRITUAL STATE IN ETERNITY.
From this perspective, we are taught that SOULS OF THE
DEPARTED HAVE AN AWARENESS OF AND CONCERN FOR
THE SPIRITUAL STATE OF THOSE WHO STILL LIVE ON
2 1 A P - 5
T H
S T L U K E R I C H M A N & P O O R L A Z A R O S 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 5.
EARTH, BUT ALSO THAT - ALTHOUGH THE INTERCESSORY
PRAYERS OF THE WICKED MAN FOR DIVINE MERCY FOR
THE REST OF HIS LIVING FAMILY ARE HEARD, SADLY THEY
WILL BENEFIT NEITHER HIM NOR HIS FAMILY.
LUKE 9: 30- 31: CHRISTS PASSION ON THE CROSS WAS a
fulfilment of the Old Covenant Passover and was
THE TRUE EXODUS FROM SPIRITUAL ENSLAVEMENT OF
SIN INTO GLORIOUS SALVATION AND SPIRITUAL
FREEDOM OF ETERNAL LIFE.
Only in His human Nature could Christ experience Death
and descend into Hades where, IN HIS DIVINE
NATURE, HE SMASHED OPEN THE GATES OF HADES AND
SET THE RIGHTEOUS SOULS FREE, while the stubbornly
unrepentant souls remained there, tormented by the
Foretaste of Eternal Death suffering the unspeakable
horrors of the total absence of God and everything
good!
2 MACCABEES 15 : 12- 16: The Hebrews believed
that THE DEPARTED SAINTS LIKE ST JEREMIAH ARE
ALIVE EVEN BEFORE THE GENERAL RESURRECTION.
This was clearly confirmed by the New Covenant when
ST MOSES AND ST ELIJAH APPEARED WITH CHRIST AT HIS
GLORIOUS TRANSFIGURATION ON MOUNT TABOR, WHICH
WAS WITNESSED BY ST PETER, ST JAMES, AND HIS
BROTHER, ST JOHN the Divine Apostle and Theologian.
MATTHEW 2: 18: The Book of Jeremiah mentions that
when the people of Jerusalem were led into exile,
they passed Ramah, near Bethlehem, where the
tomb of St Jacobs wife, St Rachel, was situated.
In his Prophecy, ST JEREMIAH SAW ST RACHEL LAMENTING,
WEEPING AND MOURNING FROM HER GRAVE, BEING
DEEPLY SORROWFUL FOR THE FATE THAT HAD BEFALLEN
HER DESCENDENTS, AND THIS WAS REPEATED AT THE
TIME OF THE MERCILESS SLAUGHTER OF THE HOLY
INNOCENTS, which occurred approximately two years
after the Birth of Christ when all male infants were
murdered by order of the insane and cruel King
Herod.
Thus the weeping of St Rachel for her suffering children
demonstrates that SAINTS IN HEAVEN ARE VERY AWARE
OF AND COMPASSIONATE TOWARDS ALL WHO STRUGGLE
IN LIFE ON EARTH.
CONSEQUENTLY, WE TURN TO THEM FOR THEIR PRAYERS OF
INTERCESSION AND SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE.
The human soul is immortal it never dies so it remains
alive and aware of both the visible and invisible worlds.
Souls that have been Blessed with a close and intimate
Relationship with God continue after this life to be in
the Divine Presence.
Obviously then, those that have rejected God and refused
to make any effort to get close to God have chosen
their alienation and Spiritual Exile for all Eternity and
will thus suffer the unceasing torments of Hell forever
with no respite or relief and being completely
separated from everything of God and His Goodness.
JAMES 5: 16 Confess your trespasses to one another,
and pray for one another, so that you may be
healed. The effective, Fervent Prayer of a
Righteous person avails much.
Some people allege that confessing our sins to God in the
presence of a Priest is not Biblical!
THE ANCIENT CHRISTIAN PRACTICE WAS TO CONFESS OUR
TRESPASSES TO ONE ANOTHER and when a Christian
was guilty of sinning, the matter was confessed before
the entire Church AS A MOST HUMBLE ACT OF
REPENTANCE.
Early Churches consisted of gatherings of Faithful in small
groups in the homes of other Christians.
Everyone knew each other very well and there was an
element of complete trust because they were all
united in the same Faith and manner of worship.
Everyone understood and preserved the Sanctity of such
gatherings and sharing of one anothers physical and
Spiritual Burdens.
No one gossiped or scandalised about whatever they
witnessed during their sanctified gatherings.
They understood that we are all sinners seeking
Redemption in Christ Jesus so no one could or wanted
to point accusing fingers at each other.
However, as the Church grew, and more often than not,
other people who were not part of the Christian
Community would attend, many of whom hoped to
become Catechumens and then be Baptised
Christians.
Some attended out of mere curiosity or even possibly with
other more sinister motives.
Consequently communal, public Confessions became
less desirable and even dangerous during the
persecutions of Christians .
Instead of Confessions before the entire Christian
Community, REPENTANT SINNERS CONFESSED IN PRIVATE
BEFORE A PRIEST (WHO REPRESENTS OUR FELLOW SINNERS,)
AND IN THE DIVINE PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD (WHO,
THROUGH HI S ORDAINED SERVANTS, THE BI SHOPS AND PRIESTS,
GRANTS US FORGIVENESS OF SI NS.)
What is definitely NOT TAUGHT IN HOLY SCRIPTURE IS
PRIVATE CONFESSION ONLY TO GOD, WHEREBY WE
REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SINS TO OUR CHRISTIAN
COMMUNITY OUR FELLOW STRUGGLING SINNERS -
AGAINST WHOM WE COMMIT OUR SINS!
1 JOHN 1 : 8 10: If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us.
If we Confess our sins, (Christ) is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. If we say that we have not
sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not
in us!
8 FAITH IS PROVED BY GOOD WORKS I.E. OUR FAITH MUST
PRODUCE PURITY IT MUST PRACTICE THE TRUTH -
WHERE TRUTH IS A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
THAT IS MANIFESTED IN A HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS LIFE
IN CHRIST.
8 And TRUE FAITH MUST ALWAYS SEEK FORGIVENESS for
and cleansing from sin THE BLOOD OF JESUS
CHRIST ... CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN.
8 SIN MOST CERTAINLY DOES EXIST AND CONSEQUENTLY,
THE PRACTICE OF REGULAR CONFESSION IS THE
ESTABLISHED BASIS FOR OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
TOWARDS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Furthermore, ALTHOUGH WE CONTINUOUSLY COMMIT SIN,
WE MUST JUST AS CEASELESSLY STRIVE TO AVOID ALL
TEMPTATION THAT LEADS US INTO WICKEDNESS.
SALVATION IN CHRIST IS A LONG, PERPETUAL PROCESS A
CEASELESS AND WATCHFUL STRUGGLE the most
essential part of which is a CONSTANT AWARENESS AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF EVERY SIN GREAT OR SMALL
AND REGULAR REPENTANCE-CONFESSION COMBINED
WITH HOLY EUCHARIST.
8 In order for fulfil these requirements and to make
good Spiritual Progress, A CONSTANT ATTENDANCE
AND PARTICIPATION IN ALL HOLY SERVICES, HOLY
MYSTERIES AND PERSONAL PRAYERS IS VITAL.
8 THE HOLY CHURCH OF CHRIST EFFECTS HEALING
PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL THROUGH WORKS OF
FAITH SUCH AS CONFESSION OF OUR SINS AND THE
POWER OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER.
T H E R I C H MA N & P O O R L A Z A R O S R E V E R E N D F A T H E R GE O R G E CA L C I U
POOR LAZAROS HAD NOT DONE ANY GOOD BECAUSE HE WAS
UNABLE TO DO SO. He humbled himself at the gate
of the Rich Man, CEASELESSLY PRAISING GOD AND
ACCEPTING HIS SUFFERING WITHOUT ANY COMPLAINT.
THE RICH MAN, TOO, DID NOT NECESSARILY CAUSE ANY
HARM.
However, NEITHER DID HE DO ANY GOOD WORKS ACTS OF
CHARITY - FOR THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN HIMSELF.
Every day he ate, enjoyed the luxurious, opulent life
of self-indulgence but never offered anyone
least of all being Poor Lazarus even the crumbs
or leftovers from his overflowing table.
TO DO NOTHING GOOD TO NOT FULFIL ANY ACTS OF
CHARITY IS SINFUL.
The line that separates good from evil is very thin
like an invisible piece of thin string so we must
always be very careful!
IN VAIN WE TRY TO JUSTIFY OURSELVES by saying or
thinking: Although I might not do any Good
Deeds, I do not harm anyone! I do not care what
others do I mind my own business. I am honest
6. 2 1 A P - 5
T H
S T L U K E R I C H M A N & P O O R L A Z A R O S 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
and successful. I have money in the bank. I own
my home so I am not dependent on anyone else
... I pay my bills... etc.
Nevertheless: WE ALSO HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING GOOD
FOR OTHERS WHO ARE LESS BLESSED THAN US AND THE
PAIN OF THEIR SUFFERINGS HAS NOT SOFTENED OUR
STONE COLD HEART.
BY IGNORING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS, WE HAVE NOT CARED
FOR THEM OR FOR GOD BY OFFERING EVEN THE SMALLEST
GIFT OF CHARITY.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN TOUCHED BY THEIR PLIGHT by tending
the wounds of those who have fallen. We have
not cared for those who are in hospital or alone
at home who are sick and suffering and who have
no one to visit them and give them comfort and
encouragement.
We have not called an ambulance, taken to hospital
or to a doctor anyone who is in need, destitute or
abandoned. NOR HAVE WE DONE OTHER KIND DEEDS.
We live our smug, self-satisfied little life and pass
through this wonderful preparatory period before
Eternity like a dead pile of wood and we think
that this thin thread as thin as the horizon has
separated us from evil and all its consequences.
Dear Brethren! There is nothing further from the
Truth!
ALL OUR LIFE WE HAVE CHOSEN TO STAND ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE STRING THAT SEPARATES US FROM
EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD!
As our Holy Church Fathers have taught us: evil in
itself has no essence.
EVIL EXISTS IN THE ABSENCE OF GOOD - WHERE GOODNESS IS
NOT MANIFESTED, EVIL EXISTS.
IF WE DO NOT WORK ANY GOOD, THEN WE COMMIT EVIL!
This is clearly evident from the crazy world we live
in with all its pain, suffering, wars, crimes and
abject poverty.
Indeed, the soil of our world might be very fertile,
producing crops that abundantly feed us, and
most of us might be somewhat prosperous as
lifestyles in general have improved.
Yet THE VAST NUMBERS OF POVERTY STRICKEN, HOMELESS
AND STARVING PEOPLE INCREASE EVERY DAY THEY
SURROUND US BUT ALL TOO OFTEN WE CHOOSE NOT TO
SEE THEM.
We choose to ignore them and their problems - after
all, we have our own problems to contend with!
THE RICHEST COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD HAVE THE MOST
DESTITUTE, SICK AND HUNGRY PEOPLE, who have to
survive without the security of shelter or food -
even in the coldest winters when so many freeze
to death!
There is a similarity between these rich countries
and the Rich Man whose circumstances yielded
plentifully but who are self-indulgent and
careless of others.
The affluent countries are very fertile not only of
the soil and material wealth, but also of the mind
the intelligence of the people who are able to
invent all sorts of things, which are only done for
this Earthly Life and WITHOUT ANY CONSIDERATION
FOR GOD AND ETERNITY.
Perhaps some people do remember and Glorify God,
but most do not because THEY ARE OVERWHELMED BY
THE MULTITUDE of their fruits - their earthly
possessions, social status and other THINGS THAT
HAVE NO SIGNIFICANCE FOR OUR ETERNAL LIFE.
They are too busy building even larger barns for
their ever increasing wealth but SOMETHING VITAL
IS CERTAINLY MISSING i.e. THESE WEALTHY NATIONS
HAVE NOT GATHERED IN CHRIST, AND THOSE WHO DO
NOT GATHER IN CHRIST, WASTE THEIR EFFORTS AND
ALL THEIR GIFTS AND BLESSINGS!
It is thus far better to be poor, but to gather in
Christ.
It is far better to be poor rather than to be so rich
and selfish, that we are condemned to Eternal
Condemnation, Hell, Outer Darkness, Eternal Exile
from God and all His Goodness, which is an
Eternal State of Spiritual Death.
ONLY OUR GOOD DEEDS OUR UNCONDITIONAL ACTS OF
LOVE OR CHARITY WILL BENEFIT US IN ETERNITY.
EVERY GOOD DEED THAT WAS OFFERED BY GOD
FOR US TO FULFI L EVERY DAY WI LL JUDGE US
WHETHER WE ACCEPTED OR REJ ECTED THEM.
Consequently, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY OURSELVES
by declaring: Lord, there is someone else out
there who is far worse than me who has done
more wicked deeds than me!
For WHEN WE STAND BEFORE THE AWESOME JUDGEMENT
THRONE, WE STAND ALONE TOTALLY EXPOSED IN ALL
OUR WORDS, THOUGHTS AND DEEDS NO LONGER ABLE
TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR OURSELVES no longer trying
to hide behind our finger!
Our Lord God will not Judge each of us in
comparison to others, because EVERY ONE OF US
WI LL CERTAI NLY WI THOUT ANY DOUBT AT
ALL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY
PERSONAL WORD, THOUGHT AND DEED.
Furthermore, NO ONE ELSE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE for
our own words, thoughts and deeds.
Our wealth, social status, etc will not condemn us
but neither will poverty take us to Heaven.
WE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HOW WE MANAGED OUR
WEALTH OR POVERTY HOW WE PUT THEM IN RELATION
TO GOD AND OUR FELLOW MANKIND.
Christ our Saviour and Divine Teacher clearly told us
that BY NOT LOVING GOD (OBEDIENCE TO HIS
TEACHINGS AND COMMANDMENTS) AND BY NOT LOVING
EACH OTHER (DOING GOOD DEEDS AND ACTS OF
CHARITY WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR CONDITION), WE WILL
BE SEVERELY JUDGED, for WHATEVER WE DO FOR EACH
OTHER, WE DO IT FOR GOD IN WHOSE IMAGE AND
LIKENESS WE HAVE BEEN CREATED.

FR . GE OR GE CA L CI U , LI V I NG WOR DS . T O S E R V E CHR I S T , ME A NS
S UF F E R I NG . BONI F A CI U P R E S S , 2009 T R A NS L A T E D F R OM
ROMA NI A N B Y EC. )
HT T P : / / OR T HODOX WOR D. WOR DP R E S S . COM/ 2009/ 11/ 01/ L A Z A R U S -
A ND- T HE - R I CH- MA N- S UNDA Y - OF - L U K E /

S T S E R A P H I M O F S A R O V
Where there is God, there is no evil. Everything
coming from God is peaceful, healthy and leads a
person to the judgement of his own
imperfections and Humility.
S T T H A L A S S I O S T H E L I B Y A N
Hardship and Humility save the soul and free it from
all the passions.
S T GR E G O R Y O F S I N A I
Distractive thoughts are the promptings of the
demons and precursors of the passions, just as
such promptings and mental images are also the
precursors of particular actions.
There can be no action, either for good or evil, that is
not initially provoked by the particular thought of
that action; for thought is the impulse, non-
visible in form, that provokes us to act at all,
whatever the action may be.
S T A T H A N A S I O S
The Cross of the Lord is the Monument to His
Victory. O Marvel of the Love of the Word of God
for mankind, for it is on our account that He was
dishonoured so that we may be brought to
honour.
S Y N A X I S O F T H E H O L Y A R C H A N G E L S & T H E H E A V E N L Y H O S T S - 8 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 7.

AGE S . AME N
RE ME MB E R I NG AL S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU RE , MOS T BL E S S E D AN D GL ORI OU S L ADY , MAR Y ,
T HE OT OK OS Y E T E VE R VI RGI N, T OGE T HE R WI T H AL L T HE S A I NT S . AND L E T U S COMMI T OU RS E L V E S AND
ONE ANOT H E R AND OU R WHOL E L I F E T O CH RI S T OU R GOD. AME N.
8 NOVEMBER 2014
SYNAXI S OF THE HOLY ARCHANGELS: ST MI CHAE L , ST GAB RI E L , ST RAP HAE L ,
ST URI E L , ST EL E P HI E L , ST JE HUDI E L , ST BAR ACHI E L , AND ST JE RE MI E L & AL L T HE
OT HER HEAVE NL Y HOS T S
AL S O T HE FE AS T OF ST AL E XANDE R OF GURI A

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N S Y N A X I S A R C H A N G E L S & H E A V E N L Y H O S T S

F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N : E N T R Y O F T H E O T O K O S I N T O T E M P L E
O Katharotatos Naos tou Sotiros i Politimitos Pastas ke
Parthenos, to Ieron Thisavrisma tis Doxis tou Theou,
simeron isagete en to iko Kyriou, tin Harin sinisagousa,
tin en Pnevmati Thio, in animnousin Angeli Theou: Afti
iparhi Skini Epouranios.
The Most Pure Temple of the Saviour, the Precious Bridal
Chamber and Virgin, the Sacred Treasure of God,
today enters the House of the Lord, bringing the Grace
of the Divine Spirit. The Angels of God praise her. She
is the Heavenly Tabernacle.
MA T I N S - HOL Y GOS P E L A CCOR D I N G T O S T MA T T H E W 1 8 : 10 2 0
THE DI VI NE PR OT E CT I ON OF T HE I NNOCE NT
At that time, our Lord Jesus said: Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in
Heaven their Angels always see the Face of My Father Who is in Heaven. For the Son of Man has come to Save that
which was lost.
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and
go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices
more over that sheep than the ninety-nine sheep that did not go astray.
Even so, it is not the Will of your Father Who is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Furthermore, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault - between you and him alone. If he hears you,
you have gained your brother. However, if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of
two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the Church. But if
he refuses even to hear the Church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Assuredly, I say to you: whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in Heaven.
Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My
Father in Heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in My Name, I Am there in the midst of them.
Who makes spirits His Angels and a Flame of Fire His Ministers.
Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord, my God, You have been greatly Magnified!
T H E E P I S T L E OF S T P A U L T O T H E HE B R E WS 2 : 2 10
B E W A R E O F W I L F U L N E G L I G E N C E
Brethren, if the word spoken through Angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a Just
Reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation? Which, at the first, began to be spoken by the Lord, and
was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness, both with Signs and Wonders, with various
Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own Will.
For He has not put the world to come of which we speak, in subjection to Angels. But one testified in a certain place,
saying: What is man that Thou art mindful of him, or the Son of Man that Thou takes care of Him? Thou hast made Him
with Glory and Honour, and set Him over the works of Thy Hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection under His Feet.
For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him.
But now we do not yet see all things put under Him. Yet we see Jesus Who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the
suffering of death, Crowned with Glory and Honour, that He, by the Grace of God, might taste Death for everyone. For
it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to Glory, to make the
Captain of their Salvation Perfect through sufferings.
HOL Y GOS P E L A CCOR D I N G T O S T L U K E 10 : 1 6 21
OU R L O R D S S E N D I N G F O R T H OF H I S 7 0 A P O S T L E S A N D H I S CA U T I O N A R Y WA R N I N G S T O T H E M
At that time our Lord Jesus said to them: He who hears you, hears Me, he who rejects you, rejects Him Who sent Me.
Then the Seventy returned with Joy, saying: Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Thy Name!
So He told them: I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. Behold, I grant you the Authority to trample upon
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this - that the spirits are subject to you - but rather rejoice because your names are
written in Heaven!
Ton Ouranion Stration Arhistratigi,
disopoumen imas imis i anaxii, ina
tes imon deisesi, tehisite imas,
skepi ton pterigon, tis aflou imon
doxis, frourountes imas
prospiptontas, ektenos ke Voontas.
Ek ton kindinon litrosasthe imas,
os Taxiarhe ton ano Dinamenon.
O ye Foremost of the Heavenly Hosts, we
who are unworthy, beseech you that
by your Petitions you encompass us
with the shadow of your immaterial
glory, preserving us who kneel and
cry ceaselessly: deliver us from
oppressions, since you are the Princes
of the Ranks of Dominions on High
8. S Y N A X I S O F T H E H O L Y A R C H A N G E L S & T H E H E A V E N L Y H O S T S - 8 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
In that hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said: I thank Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou hast
hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good
in Thy Sight.
S Y N A X I S OF T H E HOL Y AR CH A N GE L S - S T J OH N OF K R ON S T A D T
St David, the Psalmist, King and Holy Prophet of God wrote:
... Who maketh His Angels spirits; His Ministers
Flaming Fire... (Psalm 104:4)
These words expressed how God created the wisest,
intellectual minds of the fleshless spirits the bodiless
or incorporeal Heavenly Angelic Hosts who served Him
with utter Loyalty and who ceaselessly burn with their
Eternal Love for God, who eagerly and faithfully fulfil
Gods Divine Will, and who abide in the Unapproachable
Light of the Throne of Glory.
Our Lord God created His Heavenly Angels as wise,
powerful, Eternally Holy, pure beings who reside in His
Divine Truth.
Dear Brothers and Sisters: ponder this! Delve into this
Divine Truth with your mind.
Our Lord God divided all His Heavenly Angelic Hosts into
Nine Orders or Ranks: the Thrones, the Dominions, the
Principalities, the Powers, the Authorities and others
who all obey and work in perfect harmony with each
other.
The Lower Angelic Orders obey the Higher Angelic Orders.
In the Likeness of the Heavenly Hierarchy, our Lord
established three Ranks in His Holy Church Militant
Bishops, Priests and Deacons who obey each other and
work together harmoniously.
God created an innumerable multitude of Angels.
When we look up into the sky and see how many star fill
the heavens, we realise that there are so many it seems
as though the sky is scattered with star as numerous as
poppy seeds!
No mortal can count them all.
As we cannot count all the stars in the night skies, so could
we not count the number of Gods Holy Angels.
One star shines brighter, while others shine less brightly,
yet each star is far greater than our world our planet
Earth! This is a known fact and has been proved.
Countless multitudes of Angels abide in Heaven in the
Presence of Almighty God. They fulfil Gods Will and
Eternally, ceaselessly, Glorify Him.
Some of these Heavenly Hosts are appointed by God to
assist us human beings. Some of these Angels are our
Spiritual Guides and Protectors our Guardian Angels
who protect us and guide us from the moment of our
Holy Baptism until just after we Repose, assisting us
through both life and death.
These Holy Guardian Angels if we listen to them and obey
their instructions keep us from committing evil or
help us to avoid evil that is directed against us. They
direct and guide us towards Divine Truth and Goodness
and if we live Righteously according to Divine Teachings
and Commandments, we will know and recognise their
constant presence.
According to the Will of God, these Holy Angels are always
close to us watching over us and only turning their
sight away when we deliberately commit sinful acts.
Today we joyfully celebrate the Synaxis of the Holy
Archangels and all the Bodiless Powers.
Most of us have heard of many Miracles performed by the
Holy Archangels, especially St Michael.
One Miracle occurred when a few impious people decided
to kill St Archippos and destroy the church he had built.
So they channelled a fast flowing river towards the
church, but St Michael the Archangel appeared to St
Archippos, and having informed him of what they were
plotting, he then spilt a cliff asunder and re-directed the
approaching flow towards the rocky chasm, thereby
saving both the Saint and the church.
Gods Heavenly Angels are not prone to sin. They cannot
even think sinful thoughts. All their words, thoughts
and deeds are pure. They are Spiritually Perfect and are
always wise, strong and good.
They are firmly established in their Love of God, in
Holiness and in Divine Truth.
They do not fall into sin although only once, some of them
had been persuaded to rebel against our Lord God by
Lucifer, which saddened our Lord beyond measure.
Lucifer and his fallen angels could no longer be Holy
Citizens of Heaven and they were cast out by St Michael
and the other Heavenly Hosts, never being able to
return.
Consequently, we too, should ceaselessly strive to emulate
the Heaven Angels who are loyal to God, and after
having been citizens of our earthly fatherland, we will
become co-Heirs and co-citizens with Christ and all His
Heavenly Hosts, Saints and Martyrs of the Heavenly
Fatherland.
We must eagerly emulate the Holy Angels since we are
created in the Image of Likeness of God, which is a
Divine Gift that is common to both Angels and
mankind.
We must honour the Holy Angels of God.
We must imitate their Holiness in all things, as well as their
absolute Love and Devotion to God and we will then
be worthy of that marvellous Blessed Life in Heaven,
together with them.
Amen
http://orthodoxword.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/lazarus-and-the-
rich-man-sunday-of-luke/
E V A G R I O S T H E S O L I T A R Y
If those who are still enmeshed in sin and anger, dare
shamelessly to reach out for Knowledge of Divine
Things, or even to embark upon Immaterial Prayer, they
deserve the rebuke given by the Apostle; for it is
dangerous for them to pray with head bare and
uncovered.
Such a soul, he says, ought '...to have a veil on her head
because of the Angels...' who are present and to be
clothed in due Reverence and Humility. (CF. 1 CORINTHIANS
11:5-7 - ON PRAYER: ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE TEXTS)
S T . CY R I L O F A L E X A N D R I A
If the poison of pride is swelling up in you, turn to the
Eucharist; and that Bread, Which is your God humbling
and disguising Himself, will teach you Humility.
If the fever of selfish greed rages in you, feed on this Bread;
and you will learn Generosity.
If the cold wind of coveting withers you, hasten to the
Bread of Angels; and Charity will come to blossom in
your heart.
If you feel the itch of intemperance, nourish yourself with
the Flesh and Blood of Christ, Who practised heroic self-
control during His Earthly Life; and you will become
temperate.
If you are lazy and sluggish about Spiritual Things,
Strengthen yourself with this Heavenly Food; and you
will grow Fervent.
Lastly, if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity, go to
the Banquet of the Angels; and the Spotless Flesh of
Christ will make you Pure and Chaste.
T H E P R O L O G U E O F OC H R I D E X C E R P T F R O M A
H O M I L Y
...O my brethren, we cannot whisper anything here on Earth
that the Heavens are not going to hear. Our every word
comes before the Assembly of the Angels of God. Hades
receives our every evil word and retains it as a
guarantee of our Eternal Death and Paradise Receives
every Good Word and retains it as a Guarantee of our
Eternal Life....
S T T H E O P H A N T H E R E C L U S E
...The (Faithful) Strugglers are finally Crowned, and pass on
to the other Life where there is neither sickness nor
sorrows from the outside, and where they become
inwardly Pure like Angels of God, free from the sting of
tempting inclinations and thoughts...
T H E P R O L O G U E O F OC H R I D E X C E R P T
...The Saint then appeared in the company of two Angels
and said to the Sisters: "Why have you transgressed my
commandment? Know, that through Works of Mercy and
the Prayers of the Priest for the souls of the deceased in
the course of forty days, invokes God's Mercy...

2 2
N D
S U N D A Y A F T E R P E N T E C O S T 7
T H
O F S T L U K E J A I R U S D A U G H T E R 9 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 9.

AGE S . AME N
RE ME MB E R I NG AL S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU RE , MOS T BL E S S E D AND
GL OR I OU S L ADY , MA RY , T HE OT OK OS Y E T E VE R VI RGI N, T OGE T HE R WI T H AL L
T HE S A I NT S . AND L E T U S COMMI T OU R S E L VE S AND ONE ANOT HE R AND OU R
WHOL E L I F E T O CH RI S T OU R GOD. AME N.
9 NOVEMBER 2014
22ND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
TONE ( 5) PLAGAL 2
6T H SUNDAY OF ST LUKE ST VE RONI CA & JAI RUS DAUGHT ER

THE FE AS T OF ST NE KT ARI OS , WONDE R WORKE R OF PE NT AP OL I S &
AE GI NA ST ONES I PHOR OS & ST PORP HY RI OS OF EP HE S OS ST
MAT R ONA, VE NER ABL E AB BE S S OF CONS T ANT I NOPL E ST
T HE OKT I S T E OF L ES B OS ST ONES I PHOR OS T HE AS CE T I C
CONF E S S OR OF KI EV NE AR CAV ES ST AL EX ANDER OF
T HE S S AL ONI K A ST ANT HONY OF AP AMEA, SY RI A ST J OHN T HE SHORT OF EGY P T ST
EUS T OL I A OF CONS T ANT I NOP L E ST SOP AT R A OF CONS T ANT I NOPL E ST EUT HY MI OS & ST
NE OP HY T OS , CO- FOUNDERS OF DOCHI ARI OU MONAS T ER Y , MOUNT AT HOS

R E S U R R E C T I O N A P O L Y T I K I O N T O N E ( 5 ) P L A G A L 2
Ton sinanarhon Logon Patri ke Pnevmati, ton ek
Parthenou Tehthenta is Sotirian imon, animnisomen,
Pisti, ke Proskinisomen. Oti ivdokise sarki anelthin en
to Stavro ke Thanaton ipomine ke egire tous
tethneotas en ti Evdoxo Anastasi Aftou.
The Word, Who with the Father and the Spirit has no
beginning, and Who, for our Salvation, was born of a
Virgin, let us faithful believers hymn and adore. For
it was His Good Pleasure to ascend the Cross in the
Flesh, and to Suffer Death, and through His own
Glorious Resurrection to raise the dead.
F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N O F S T N E K T A R I O S T O N E 1
Silivrias ton Gonon ke Eginis ton eforon, ton eskhatis
hronis fanenta, aretis Filon Gnision, Nektarion
Timisomen Pisti, os entheon theraponta Hristou;
anavlizi gar iasis pantodapas, tis evlavos kravgazousi:
Doxa to Se, Doxanti Hristo, Doxa to Se Thavmastosanti!
Doxa to Energounti dia Sou, pasin iamata!

Silivrias Offspring and Protector of Aegina, the True
Friend of all Virtue, who appeared to us lately,
Nektarios the Godly Servant of Christ, let us
honour, we the Faithful; for he pours forth
Healings of every kind, on those who Piously cry
out: Glory to Christ Who Glorified Thee! Glory to
Him Who Magnified Thee! Glory to the One Who
Works through Thee, Healings for everyone!
F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N E N T R Y O F T H E O T O K O S - T O N E 4
O Katharotatos Naos tou Sotiros, i Politimitos Pastas ke
simeron isagete, en to Oiko Kyriou, tin Harin
sinisagousa, tin en Pnevmati Thio. In animnousin
Angeli Theou. Afti iparhi Skini Epouranios.
The Saviours Most Pure and Immaculate Temple, the
very Precious Bridal Chamber and Virgin, who is the
Sacred Treasure of the Glory of God, on this day is
introduced into the House of the Lord, and with
Herself She brings the Grace in the Divine Spirit. She
is extolled by the Angels of God. A Heavenly
Tabernacle is She.
R E S U R R E CT I ON GOS P E L 11 J OH N 21 : 1 4 - 2 5
O U R R E S U R R E C T E D L O R D J E S U S R E S T O R E S A N D C O M M I S S I O N S S T P E T E R
P R OK E I ME N ON
Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt preserve us.
Save me, O Lord, for the Godly man ceases.
T H E E P I S T L E OF S T P A U L T O T H E GA L A T I A N S 6 : 1 1 - 1 8
T H E R U L E O F F A I T H
Brethren: see with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!
As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that
they may not suffer persecution, for the Cross of Christ. For not even from those who are circumcised
keep the Law, but they may boast in your flesh. But God forbid that I should boast except in the Cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a New Creation.
And as many as walk according to the Rule, Peace and Mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the Marks of the Lord Jesus.
Brethren: the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Amen
St Paul cautioned us that legalisers choose to offend
Almighty God in order to please human beings.
Throughout the history of the Christian Church, the
Faithful have boasted in the Life-giving Cross of
Christ the Symbol of Eternal Life and Resurrection.
We have preached the Holy Cross of Christ.
We have displayed the Holy Cross of Christ in our
churches, chapels, homes and wherever possible.
We venerate the Holy Life-giving Cross of Christ in all
our Holy Services and Holy Mysteries (Sacraments)
We Bless ourselves by making the Sign of the Cross,
which is in reality a public and physical
Declaration of our Faith in our Triune God, as we
are Confessing I worship Thee, O God, with all my
mind, with all my heart, with all my strength and
with all my soul.
We protect ourselves by making the Sign of the Cross in
times of threat, in times of danger, in times of
sadness, in times of temptation, in times of
Repentance-Confession... etc.
10. 2 2
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T H
O F S T L U K E J A I R U S D A U G H T E R 9 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
The New Creation the New Israel is our Life in Christ
Jesus.
Having ... put on Christ... at our Holy Baptism, we
continue daily to LIVE IN CHRIST.
St Paul referred to the Holy Church of Christ as being
the New Israel.
St Paul was neither a coward nor a hypocrite. He
persevered through many trials and tribulations for
his Teachings of Divine Truth and he bore upon his
body the marks the numerous physical scars to
prove it.

T H E HOL Y GOS P E L ACCOR D I N G T O S T L U K E 8 : 4 1 56
A W O M A N ( S T V E R O N I C A ) I S H E A L E D & J A I R U S D A U G H T E R I S R A I S E D F R O M D E A T H
At that time, a man named Jairus, who was a Ruler of the Synagogue, went to our Lord Jesus and fell down at
His Feet and begged Him to go to his house, for he had an only daughter who was about twelve years of
age and dying.
And as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. And a woman, who had a flow of blood for twelve years and
who had spent all she had on Physicians - none of whom could heal her went from behind and touched
the border of His garment. And immediately the flow of blood ceased. And Jesus said: Who touched
Me? when all denied having done so, Peter and those with him said: Master, the multitudes throng and
press against Thee, and Thou ask: Who touched Me?
And Jesus said: Someone touched Me, for I perceived Power going out from Me. And when the woman
saw that she was not hidden, she went trembling and fell down before Him. And she declared to Jesus in
the presence of all the people the reason for having touched Him and how she had immediately been
healed. And He said to her: Daughter, be of good cheer; your Faith has made you well. Go in Peace.
While He was still speaking, someone from the house of the Ruler of the Synagogue arrived, saying to him:
Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher. And when Jesus heard, He answered him: Do not
be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.
When Jesus went into the house, He permitted no one to enter except Peter, James and John, and the father
and mother of the girl. And all wept and mourned for her; but He said: Do not weep; she is not dead,
but sleeping. And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. And He put them all outside, took her
by the hand and called: Little girl: arise! And her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He
commanded that she be given something to eat. And her parents were astonished, but He charged them
to tell no one what had happened.

8 ALL AUTHORITY OVER LIFE AND DEATH IS EXCLUSIVELY IN THE
CONTROL OF AND ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD.
DEUTERONOMY 32:39: Now behold: I even I Am
He, and there is no god besides Me; I take
away life and I grant life; I wound and I heal;
nor is there any who can deliver from My
Hands.
This Divine Statement could be expressed not only by God
the Father, but also God the Son and God the Holy
Spirit because
BEING CO-EQUAL IN ONE GODHEAD - EACH DIVINE
PERSON OF THE HOLY TRINITY CAN TRULY SAY: There is
no god besides Me.
This Statement is made in contrast to all the false (man-
made) gods of the pagans. (ST ATHANASIOS THE GREAT, ST
BASIL THE GREAT & ST HILARY OF POITIERS)

1 KINGS 2:6: The Lord takes away life and grants
life; He takes down to Hades and raises up.
THIS VERSE FORESHADOWS THE RESURRECTION and is likely a
description of our Lords own (voluntary) descent into
Hades and His glorious Resurrection.
St Aphrahat the Holy Prophet of God used this passage
among many to demonstrate THAT
THE BELIEF IN THE RESURRECTION EXISTED EVEN IN THE
OLD COVENANT ERA.
I T SHOULD BE UNDERST OOD T HAT GOD I S NEI T HER
DEST RUCT I V E NOR HARMFUL EVEN T HOUGH HE PERMI T S
US T O EX PERI ENCE PHYSI CAL DEAT H T HE
CONSEQUENCE OF OUR HUMAN CONDI T I ON - BEFORE
HE RET URNS US T O FULL PHYSI CAL AND SPI RI T UAL L I FE
AT T HE RESURRECT I ON AND FI NAL JUDGEMENT .
I N OT HER WORDS, GOD PERMI T S US T O DEPART FROM T HI S
LI FE AND ENT ER A ST AT E OF DEAT H I . E. PHYSI CAL
REPOSE I N CHRI ST FOR HI S FAI T HFUL BUT FOR T HE
UNREPENT ANT AND UNGODL Y SOUL S A REST L ESS
FORET AST E OF SPI RI T UAL EX I L E FROM GOD. mp
8 BEING OF ONE ESSENCE WITH GOD THE FATHER, OUR LORD
JESUS CHRIST HAS THIS EXACT SAME DIVINE AUTHORITY
OVER LIFE AND DEATH.
JOHN 5:21: ...as (God) the Father raises the dead
and grants Life to them, even so (God) the
Son grants Life to those whom He Will.
The instantaneous Healing of the bleeding woman St
Veronica - revealed and demonstrated Christs Divine
Powers of Healing and Cleansing.

ANYTHI NG THAT COMES I NTO CONTACT WI T H THE DI VI NE
WI T H GOD - I S SANCT I FI ED AND DI VI NE POWER I S
T RANSFERRED VI A THE MEDI UM SUCH AS WAT ER, OI L OR
EVEN GARMENT S T O T HE FAI THFUL FOR THEI R SPI RI T UAL
AND PHYSI CAL BENEFI T ACCORDI NG T O T HE WI LL OF
OUR LOVI NG AND PROVI DENT GOD.
T HUS T HE MUNDANE BECOMES EX T RAORDI NARY OR
SANCT I FI ED BY GOD ALWAYS AN I NEX PLI CABLE AND
GREAT MYST ERY T O OUR LI MI T ED UNDERSTANDI NG. mp
According to the Old Covenant, HAEMORRHAGING (BLEEDING)
WAS REGARDED AS CEREMONIAL AND SOCIAL DEFILEMENT,
WHICH IMPOSED UPON THE SUFFERER STRINGENT RELIGIOUS AND
SOCIAL RESTRICTIONS since any contact with blood was
severely prohibited.
LEVITICUS 15:25 If a woman has a discharge of
blood for many days, other than at the time of
her menstruation, or if it occurs beyond this
time, all the days of her (haemorrhaging) shall
be as the days of her menstruation: she shall
be unclean.
NEVERTHELESS THE WRETCHED SUFFERING WOMAN who was
regarded as unclean, daringly but secretly
APPROACHED OUR LORD JESUS WITH COMPLETE FAITH IN HIS
HEALING POWERS even though He was accompanied
by Jairus, a Ruler of the Synagogue, and a huge
crowd who would be defiled by her and who would,
without a doubt, ridicule and embarrass her beyond
measure if her circumstances became known!
Yet HER BELIEF IN CHRIST WAS SO FIRM AND UNSHAKABLE that SHE
KNEW SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT - THAT BY MERELY
TOUCHING THE EDGE OF HIS GARMENT, SHE WOULD BE HEALED,
SINCE ANYTHING THAT GOD TOUCHES OR BLESSES IS
SANCTIFIED BY GOD AND THROUGH ONES FAITH IN GOD, IS
ABLE TO ACHIEVE MIRACULOUS RESULTS. (REFER NOTE ABOVE )
8 HER FAITH AND DESIRE FOR GODS HEALING SUPPLANTED ALL
OTHER RESERVATIONS.
Consequently, CHRIST REVEALED HER UTTER FAITH IN GOD AS A
SHINING EXAMPLE TO OTHERS the majority of whom like
us - merely paid lip service to God while their hearts
were empty of Love for God or Faith in God.
HE EXPOSED HER IDENTITY - NOT TO SHAME OR EMBARRASS HER -
BUT TO BLESS HER AND ENCOURAGE HER FOR HER GREAT FAITH
AND TO SHOW OTHERS THE POWER OF SUCH FAITH IN GOD.
When our Lord asked His Apostles: Who touched Me? it
revealed HIS CONSTANT AWARENESS OF THE PAIN AND
SUFFERING OF ALL HUMANITY AND THAT HIS DIVINE POWER IS
IMPARTED DIRECTLY FROM HIMSELF TO THOSE WHO APPROACH
HIM WITH ABSOLUTE FAITH AND LOVE.
The Benevolence and Love of our Lord Jesus Christ is
clearly evident in the manner whereby He addressed
the faithful woman:
HE BLESSED HER for her courage and deep Faith,
HE CORRECTED HER THINKING that He would not be
aware of her and
2 2
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T H
O F S T L U K E J A I R U S D A U G H T E R 9 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 11.
HE DID NOT EXCLUDE HER FROM HIS PRESENCE NOR
CONDEMN HER for having the courage to seek His
i.e. Gods - Blessings due to her long illness.
8 HE PURPOSELY REVEALED HER DEVOTION TO GOD for all to
witness SO THAT THEY MIGHT IMITATE HER rather
than to condemn and ostracise her for breaking
one of the Mosaic Laws in order TO SEEK A CURE FOR
SOMETHING THAT ONLY GOD COULD GRANT.
The Healing of St Veronica also shows us that GOD ALWAYS
HAS TIME FOR EVERYONE WHO REACHES OUT TO HIM.
Furthermore, THIS MIRACULOUS HEALING of a twelve year
long ailment before the Resurrection of a little twelve
year old girl, SERVED A TWO-FOLD PURPOSE WITH REGARD TO
JAIRUS AND HIS WIFE:
IT WAS A REMINDER OF THE GREAT MERCY AND POWER OF
DIVINE HEALING, WHICH CHRIST COULD DIRECTLY AND
IMMEDIATELY GRANT.
IT STRENGTHENED THEIR WAVERING FAITH WHEN
CONFRONTED BY THE DEATH OF THEIR BELOVED CHILD.
PEOPLE ARE VERY QUICK TO BLAME GOD FOR ALL MISFORTUNES MOST OF WHICH ARE CAUSED
BY EITHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT HUMAN ACTIONS. Mp
When Jairus received the news of his daughters death
and was told not to bother our Lord any further the
inevitable belief that nothing could be done about it
OUR COMPASSIONATE SAVIOUR IMMEDIATELY COMFORTED THE
GRIEF-STRUCK FATHER: Do not be afraid; only believe,
and she will be made well.
Only God can reassure us like this!
Then at the house, Christ was again confronted by
despondent mourners who mocked His words of
consolation: Do not weep; she is not dead, but
sleeping, because they knew for sure that she had
died.
So it was that Christ made everyone else leave the room
while He and His Apostles: St Peter, St James and St
John, (who would also witness His Transfiguration on
Mount Tabor) together with the parents, remained
inside.
QUIETLY CHRIST COMMANDED THE LITTLE GIRLS SPIRIT TO RETURN
TO HER BODY AND SHE PROMPTLY AWOKE. Then He
instructed her overjoyed parents to feed her (for He
knew she would be hungry and thirsty).
At this point of His Divine Ministry, our Lord did not want
everyone to know how great His Divine Powers were
for HE WANTED TO TEACH THE PEOPLE TO WORSHIP AND
GLORIFY ALMIGHTY GOD AND NOT A PERCEIVED PROPHET.
And so HE INSTRUCTED THEM NOT TO LET OTHERS KNOW what
had occurred with their resuscitated daughter.
THE RESUSCITATION OF JAIRUS DAUGHTER FROM DEATH WAS ONE OF
THREE THAT WE KNOW OF, WHICH ARE SIGNIFICANT FOR THEIR THREE
DIFFERENT DEGREES OF DEATH:
JAIRUS DAUGHTER HAD JUST DIED, THE WIDOW OF NAINS SON HAD
BEEN DEAD FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND ST LAZAROS OF BETHANY
HAD BEEN BURIED FOR FOUR DAYS AND ALREADY BEGUN TO
DECOMPOSE WHEN CHRIST CALLED HIM BACK TO LIFE.
ALL THESE CLEARLY PROVE THAT JESUS CHRIST WAS NO ORDINARY
HOLY PROPHET OF GOD BUT GOD HIMSELF WHO HAS DOMINION
OVER ALL LIFE AND DEATH! mp
S OME ON E T OU CH E D ME !
B Y A R C H P R I E S T ( P R O T O P R E S B Y T E R ) A N T H O N Y B GA V A L A S
Someone touched Me! said our Saviour. Someone in that
great crowd of people that surrounded Him had
touched Him with utter Faith. And a woman who had
haemorrhaged for many years was instantly Healed!
And in her Great Joy at being Healed - in her tremendous
relief at being Saved from that debilitating and
embarrassing illness - she possibly had only one regret
that probably gnawed at her for the rest of her life:
What took me so long to seek Him out? Why did I waste so
much time, energy and money when I could have gone
to Him sooner? I could have been Healed long ago. Why
did I wait so long?
For truly this Woman would have had only that regret to
grieve over, because she had been Healed immediately
by our Lord, Who is the Divine Source of all Healing, the
Source of all Blessing, the Source of Life itself!
Why did she wait so long? And this is a question that so
many of us - the entire world itself - should be asking!
Why do we wait so long to approach our Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ?
We all suffer with grief, worry and a variety of ailments.
But we seek relief in every other way possible except by
turning to our Lord Jesus to resolve our problems.
When we are tired, we think a change of location or climate
will restore our strength.
When we have overwhelming problems, we think that by
going out to drink, to take drugs, and to behave
raucously with a crowd of our equally suffering cronies
will lighten our burdens and restore our happiness.
We think that somehow worldly things will somehow cure
our problems or those of this temporary life.
Those who drink excessively or who take drugs think that
their hangovers and depression can only be healed by
consuming even more alcohol or drugs.
However, all they are doing is rapidly destroying their
bodies and minds, their families, their relationships and
everything that is worthwhile in their life.
We should realise that all those destructive things have
been invented by the evil one - the prince of this world
who deceives the weak into believing that such
harmful mind and body altering things will cure our
grief, our depression, our problems and even our
sicknesses!
On the contrary, they are in fact the devils tools for
reinforcing the self-destructive behaviour that has
brought us to our sad condition, which he always uses
against us to enslave us and to degrade us.
For what is more depressing than a crowd of inebriated,
drugged people after they have made public fools of
themselves, after the raucous music has stopped, and
all that is left is the stench of smoke, sweat and other
horrible smells?
There is nothing more depressing - and yet time after time,
day after day, the same people go to the same places
with the same results.
In a textbook on psychology this is called insanity! Doing
the same thing over and over again and having the same
negative result is insanity - even by science's measure of
the word.
And yet: how many people seek our Lord Jesus Christ first
as soon as they are needy?
How many people seek our Master, our Creator, our
Saviour, our Redeemer before anything else?
Most people - if they do find our Lord Jesus - find Him after
they have wasted their life, after they have spent all
their money and all their strength and, in some cases,
after they have broken themselves, their relationships
and, especially, their families.
And when they do find our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the only
regret that they will have is similar to that of the
Woman who was cured : What took me so long?!
This is why our Holy Church Fathers encourage us to come
to Christ early in our life.
This is why St. Irenaeus of Leon urges us: Give your
Saviour your heart when it is in a soft and tractable
state.
Give your heart to our Lord Jesus Christ when it is still soft
so that He can mould it, because - as we have said -
our heart - like the rest of us - are made of clay.
We are extremely foolish if we believe that now while we
are young we can live the life of the young, and when
we get older we will have time to Repent-Confess; we
will have plenty of opportunity to receive Holy
Communion.
But foolishly, due to immaturity, we think that now life is
for me! We think that this short, earthly life is for the
young to enjoy to their hearts content!
Nevertheless, if we believe this, we do not realise that our
clay hearts are being baked for all Eternity by the fires
of passions becoming too hard for change too hard
for Repentance-Confession or even to receive Holy
Eucharist!
We are like that huge crowd that thronged our Lord Jesus,
pushing this way and that.
We think that we want to be close to Christ. We want to be
close to Him because we sense that Something
Wonderful is present. We try to get as close as possible
and we might even push Him.
12. 2 2
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O F S T L U K E J A I R U S D A U G H T E R 9 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
We demand His time - especially on those occasions when
we think it is appropriate as Christians to be very, very
Pious such as during Holy Week or for a few days
before we want to receive Holy Communion.
We try to be Pious at various times, and we even try to
force ourselves on our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do we really think that He pays attention to those who
want to be close to Him just because they have heard
Wonderful Things about Him?
While Christ lived amongst us, people witnessed first-had
His Divine Miracles, so they were curious and wanted to
be near to Him to watch, listen and see what He said
and what He did.
However, none of them wanted or need to touch Him as
their only Lord and Saviour Who Heals all things.
In that shoving, pushing, pulling throng of people only one
person touched Him in absolute Faith that caused an
immediate drawing of His Divine Power, which instantly
Healed her.
There are passages of Holy Scripture that one never, ever
gets used to reading, and can never read without even a
stony heart being moved, such as the account of our
Saviour and the Canaanite Woman who was neither
Jewish nor had any connection with the people of Israel.
Despite that, the desperate Canaanite Woman begged Christ
to Deliver her beloved daughter from the possession of
a cruel demon.
But wanting to show the great depth of her Faith in God,
Christ appeared initially to ignore and even to reject her
- It is not right to take the children's food and throw it
to dogs... whereupon she boldly replied: Yes, Lord. You
are right. I am a dog. But don't dogs eat from the
leftovers and from the crumbs that fall from the Masters
table? That's all I'm asking for.
The other touching passage of Holy Scripture concerns
todays Sacred Lesson for this wretched woman, was
fully aware of her unworthiness to approach such a
Holy Man, for according to the Mosaic Law she was
unclean. Her ailment, when it came in such a chronic
form had rendered her ritually unclean for twelve long,
painful years.
She had no right to approach anyone least of all a Great
Teacher of the Law. She had no right to be amongst that
huge crowd of people, for she knew only too well the
dire consequences if she was discovered.
She had finally reached the only resolution to her affliction
Christ was her only Hope for being cured!
Our Lord Jesus Christ was the only Person Who can Heal
her so, regardless of her condition, compelled by her
absolute trust and unshakable Faith, that she
approached our Saviour from behind.
Her fear not only came from within her because she knew
that she had no business being there, but because she
was afraid that someone in the crowd -- and we have
such people in church too sometime who would
identify and humiliate her by shouting: You know you
should not be here! Get away from Him! You shouldn't be
touching Him! You're unclean!
Nevertheless, she overcame all her fears, and touched our
Lord Jesus Christ, and was Touched by Him, and was
cured!
Now she is a Saint (St Veronica) whom we venerate and
whom we ask for intercessory Prayers with Christ Who
is our Eternal Consolation - more than two thousand
years later!
My beloved Brothers and Sisters: there is no greater
Comfort than our Lord Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact
there is no other Consolation but Jesus Christ.
There is no Cure except by the Grace of God, for whenever
Doctors heal a patient, it is only by the Grace of Jesus
Christ.
We are instructed to revere Physicians and to go to them
when we are ill, but we should understand them as
being similar to Priests who are merely the Tools of God
but certainly not God Himself.
When we are in need of Consolation, we can only turn to
our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can never expect any consolation nor relief from the
machinery of this temporary world, because the
machinery of this world, behind the stage, is more often
than not the devil himself.
When seeking relief from our overwhelming problems,
worries, ailments or tragedies, only our Lord Jesus can
resolve them for He is truly our Only Redeemer,
Comforter, Healer, Saviour and Consolation.
I beg you, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, do not waste
another second of your life do not waste another split
second of this precious Gift of time that God has
granted us lest at the end - when you finally do discover
Christ - you will bewail and berate yourself that you
have wasted that most precious time.
We must turn to and seek our Saviour NOW - regardless of
our Spiritual Uncleanliness!
Regardless of our Spiritual Disorder, we must seek Him
NOW!
Any when we approach Him we will certainly receive the
Great Consolation of knowing Him in this life - and we
will receive a portion of His Eternal Kingdom that has
been promised to all who Love Him and who give their
Life to Him - even to Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom
together with His Father and the Holy Spirit is due
Honour and Worship unto the Ages of ages.
Amen.
(http://gnisios.narod.ru/abg021028.html
[Adapted & Edited by mp]
S T J O H N O F K R O N S T A D T :
Everyone must know and believe that our Saviour was sent
from God into the world in order to Save mankind from
the deadly shafts of this serpent that is: from sin and
Everlasting Death and that this Saviour bestows upon
all His Saving, Healing Remedies against the bites of
this serpent: Faith, Penitence, and the Holy Mysteries of
His Body and Blood.
A B B O T T R Y P H O N :
Our Lord Jesus Christ desires that each of us be joined
together in Unity within the confines of His Church.
This Union of all who Confess Christ as True God and
True Man, and who are United as one Body in Him, have
as their Goal, the Spiritual Perfection that can come
only through Him. The Life of Holiness is not about
adherence to religion, but to a Way of Life that brings
about Healing of body and soul.
A B B O T T R Y P H O N :
When others are critical of us or speak ill of us, it seems
natural that we would respond in anger. Yet it is far
more profitable for our soul if we refrain from
defending ourselves. If we choose to see these
individuals as our benefactors, placed in our lives by
God to teach us humility, we can receive these
humiliations for the healing of our soul. The slanderer
then becomes a physician, bringing healing where it is
most needed.
H I E R O T H E O S V L A C H O S :
One of the fundamental methods of curing the soul is
Stillness in the full sense of the word. I believe that we
have already made this clear. Contemporary man is
seeking Healing for his life, especially for his Inner
Condition, precisely because he is over-strained.
Therefore one of the messages which Orthodoxy can
offer to the contemporary weary, discouraged and
floundering world is the Message of Silence. I think that
the Orthodox Tradition has a great deal to offer in this
area.
S T J O H N K L I M A K O S
If a human Physician can sometimes bring back to life a
half-dead person by means of the knowledge of his
profession, and skilful, well-directed action upon the
cause of the illness, cannot, therefore, the Creator of
Physicians and of the Science of Healing cure, at His
single Wish and Word, every illness? Cannot the Creator
even raise the dead at His single Word?
Let us render Glory to Him, we of little Faith, and let us say
to Him from our hearts: "All things are possible unto
Thee, Lord, and nothing is impossible to Thee. Amen."

S T J O H N C H R Y S O S T O M O F C O N S T A N T I N O P L E 1 3 N O V E M B E R 13

AL L GL ORY , HON OU R AND WOR S HI P T O T HE F AT H E R , AND T O T HE S ON, AND T O T H E HOL Y S P I RI T , NOW
AND FORE VE R , AND U NT O T HE AGE S OF AGE S . AME N
RE ME MB E R I NG AL S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU R E , MOS T BL E S S E D AND GL ORI OU S L ADY , MA RY ,
T HE OT OK OS Y E T EV E R VI R GI N , T OGE T HE R WI T H AL L T HE S AI NT S . AND L E T U S COMMI T OU R S E L VE S AND ONE
13 NOVEMBER 2014
ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTI NOPLE

AL S O T HE FEAS T OF ST ANT ONI NOS , ST NI CE PHOR OS , ST GER MANOS , AND ST MANET HA OF
CAE S ARE A ST DAMAS CENE & ST DAMI ANOS , MONK- MAR T Y RS OF L AV RA MONAS T E RY ,
MOUNT AT HOS

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N S T J O H N C H R Y S O S T O M T O N E ( 8 ) P L A G A L 4
I tou stomatos Sou, kathaper Pirsos eklampsasa Haris tin
ikoumenin Efotisen; afilargirias to kosmo thisavrous
enapetheto; to Ipsos imin, tis tapinofrosinis ipedixen.
Alla Sis logis pedevon, Pater Ioanni Hrisostome,
Presveve to Logo Hristo to Theo, Sothine tas psihas
imon.
The Grace of Thy mouth, which has shone like a
Beacon, has Illumined the Universe; it stored up in
the world Treasures of the absence of avarice; it
showed to us the Height of Humility. Therefore,
instructing by Thy words, O Father John
Chrysostom, Intercede with the Word, Christ our
God, that our souls may be Saved.
F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N E N T R Y O F E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S
O katharotatos Naos tou Sotiros, i politimitos pastas ke
simeron isagete, en to Iko Kyriou, tin Harin
sinisagousa, tin en Pnevmati dio: In animnousin
Angeli Theou. Afti iparhi, Skini Epouranios

The very purest Abode of the Saviour, and the Most
Priceless Bridal Chamber and Virgin, the Most Sacred
Treasure of the Glory of God, today is led inside the
House of the Lord, bringing in the Grace with Her, of
the Holy Spirit. It is for Her Gods Angels sing in
praise: She is truly a Heavenly Tabernacle!
F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N O F S T J O H N C H R Y S O S T O M T O N E ( 6 ) P L A G A L 2
Ek ton Ouranon edexo tin Thian Harin, ke dia ton Son
hileon, Pantasdidaskis, Proskinin en Triadi ton Ena
Theon, Ioanni Hrisostome, Pammakariste Osie, epazios
evfimoumen Se. Iperhis gar kathigitis, os ta Thia
Safon.
Thou received Divine Grace from Heaven, and by Thine
own lips taught all to worship the One God in
Trinity. All-Blessed, Venerable John Chrysostom,
deservedly, we praise Thee for Thou art a Teacher
clearly revealing Things Divine
F E S T A L MA T I N S GOS P E L J OH N 1 0 : 1 - 9
My mout h shal l speak of Wi sdom: and t he medi t at i on of hear t shal l be of Under st andi ng.
Hear t hi s, al l you peopl e!
T H E E P I S T L E OF S T P A U L T O T H E HE B R E WS 7 : 2 6 8 : 2
JE S US CHRI S T I S OUR ONE AND ONL Y E T E RNAL HI GH P RI E S T
Brethren: a High Priest was fitting for us, Who is Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has
become higher than the Heavens, who does not need daily, as those High Priests, to offer up sacrifices,
first for His own sins and then for the peoples, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
For the Law appoints as High Priests men who have weakness, but the word of the Oath, which came after the
Law appoints the Son Who has been perfected forever.
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: we have such a High Priest Who is seated at the right
hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Ministry of the Sanctuary and of the True Tabernacle,
which the Lord erected, and not man.
8 NOT ONLY IS THE FOUNDER OF THE NEW COVENANT
PRIESTHOOD SUPERIOR TO THAT OF THE OLD
COVENANT, THE RULES OF THE NEW COVENANTS
PRIESTLY ORDER ARE ALSO SUPERIOR.
Priesthood is so intertwined with a Covenant that IF THE
PRIESTHOOD IS CHANGED, SO IS THE COVENANT.
"Majesty" is a biblical name for God the Father.
8 A HIGH PRIEST SITTING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF
MAJESTY WOULD HAVE TO BE BOTH HUMAN AND
DIVINE AS IS OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
"Seated means that NO ONE BUT AN EQUAL SITS IN THE
PRESENCE OF A KING MUCH LESS IN THE PRESENCE OF
ALMIGHTY GOD.
8 THE COVENANT OF JESUS CHRIST SOLVES THE PROBLEMS
THAT THE MOSAIC COVENANT COULD NOT.
BOTH HOLY COVENANTS COME FROM GOD S GRACE AND
REQUIRE MAN S WILLED RESPONSE.
8 However, THE COVENANT OF MOSES IS EXTERNAL TO
MAN AND CANNOT SOLVE THE ROOT OF HUMANITYS
PROBLEM SIN AND DEATH.
It CANNOT REUNITE AND REINTEGRATE the souls of
human beings
It is learnt by being TAUGHT.
It is heeded with FEARFUL COMPLIANCE,
It gives IMPERFECT FORGIVENESS (only temporary)

8 THE COVENANT OF JESUS CHRIST, ON THE CONTRARY, IS
INTERNAL
it HEALS OUR NATURE,
It UNIFIES THE INNER BEING mind and soul are
joined in Union with God.
It therefore IS INTUITIVELY UNDERSTOOD,
It is HEEDED WITH WILLING CO-OPERATION OR
SYNERGY and
It GRANTS PERFECT FORGIVENESS, even those sins
that the Old Covenant was powerless to deal
with.
S T J O H N C H R Y S O S T O M O F C O N S T A N T I N O P L E 1 3 N O V E M B E R 14
T H E HOL Y GOS P E L ACCOR D I N G T O S T J OH N 1 0 : 9 1 6
OUR LORD GI VE S HI S LI F E FOR HI S SHE E P
At that time our Lord said: The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have
come so that they may have Life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
I Am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His Life for the sheep. But a hireling - he who is not
the Shepherd, one who does not own the sheep - sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees;
and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
I Am the Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me,
even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not
of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My Voice; and there will be one flock and one
Shepherd.
THE THIEF THE DEVIL STEALS, KILLS AND DESTROYS
THE VIRTUES OF CHRISTIAN LIFE AND LAYS WASTE
THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIS HERESIES.
8 LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY IS THE LIFE OF GOD S
KINGDOM, OFFERED US BY CHRIST HIMSELF.
PSALM 23:5 ...Thou prepares a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies; Thou
anoints my head with oil; my cup
overflows.
Verse 11 I Am the Good Shepherd is A PROPHECY OF
OUR LORDS IMPENDING DEATH, THROUGH WHICH HIS
PEOPLE ARE TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD THE FATHER.
8 THE GOOD SHEPHERD, CHRIST, AND HIS UNDER-
SHEPHERDS [HIS BISHOPS AND PRIESTS] LOOK
AFTER THE SHEEP [THE FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS]
EVEN TO THE POINT OF GIVING THEIR LIVES FOR
THEM.
The hireling the uncommitted religious leader - is
contrasted with the Shepherd the one who
considers the Sheep his own.
THE HIRED HAND LOOKS PRIMARILY AFTER HIMSELF.
8 OTHER SHEEP ARE THE GENTILES WHO WILL BE
BROUGHT INTO THE ONE FLOCK UNDER THE ONE
SHEPHERD.
THEREFORE THE CHURCH CANNOT BE DIVIDED ALONG
DENOMINATIONAL, ETHNIC, CULTURAL OR FAMILY
LINES.
This is also a reference to ALL THOSE WHO HAVE HAD
DIVERSE, HERETICAL BELIEFS BUT WHO FINALLY FIND
GODS TRUTH WITH CHRIST OUR LORD, SAVIOUR AND
GOD.
S T J OH N CH R Y S OS T OM S CON T I N U OU S I N F L U E N CE
Since the Repose of St John Chrysostom in 407, his
influence has increased throughout the entire world
similar to that our Lady Theotokos who had
prophesied under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit
that ... all generations will call me Blessed.
During his lifetime many of St John Chrysostoms works
were published, translated and studied and he thus
became famous throughout the Christian world,
bearing Spiritual Fruit in a multitude of Pious
Disciples such as St John Cassian, St Ploclos, St Nilos
and St Mark the Ascetics, St Isidore of Pelusium, and
St Palladios the Bishop of his biographer.
Since the title Golden Mouth was bestowed upon St
John, each generation of great scholar-preachers of
the Church have also been awarded the title of New
Chrysostom, even up until modern times e.g. St
Tikhon of Zadonsk and St Nicolai of Zicha.
By the 11
th
century St John Chrysostoms fame was so
great that he was honoured as one of the Three Holy
Hierarchs the three Holy Satellites, Holy Moons
or Universal Luminaries of Christs Holy Church.
We celebrate the Life of St John Chrysostom Liturgically
on 13 November his primary Feast on 27 January
the Translation of his Holy Relics and 30 January
the Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs.
Scholarship has engaged St John Chrysostoms work in
every era of Christianity and not just Orthodox
Christian scholars like St Photios the Great, but non-
Orthodox as well like the Latin Thomas Aquinas, who
considered St John Chrysostoms Commentary on
Matthew to be virtually Inspired, or the Protestant
Reformer, John Calvin, who held St John Chrysostom
in such high regard as an exegete (someone who
explains things).
FOR THI S EXCELLENT ARTI CLE ON ST JOHN
CHRYSOSTOM, PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWI NG
LI NK:
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/44614.htm
T H E E T E R N A L , I N S P I R E D WI S D OM OF S T J OH N CH R Y S OS T OM
C Even if we have thousands of Acts of great Virtue
to our credit, our confidence in being heard
must be based on God's Mercy and His Love
for mankind. Even if we stand at the very
summit of Virtue, it is by Mercy that we shall
be Saved.

C When we teach our children... to be good, to be
gentle, to be forgiving (all these being
Attributes of God), to be generous, to Love
their fellow mankind, to regard this present
age as nothing... . we instil Virtue in their soul,
and reveal the Image of God within them. This,
then, is our Task: to educate both ourselves
and our children in Godliness.

C Be aware not to be corrupted by love of the
heretics; for this reason do not accept any
false belief (dogma) in the name of love.

C What Kind of Marriage Brings Blessings? If a man
and a woman marry to satisfy their sexual
appetites, or to further the material aims of
themselves or their families, then the Union is
unlikely to bring Blessings. But if a man and
a woman marry in order to be Companions on
the Journey through earth to Heaven, then
their Union will bring Great Joy to themselves
and to others.

C We, who were not worthy of earthly glory, are
lifted up to the Kingdom of Heaven; enter
Heaven, and take our place before the Divine
Throne.

C Are you Fasting? Show me your Fast with your
Works. Which Works? If you see someone who
is poor, show him Mercy. If you see an enemy,
reconcile with him. If you see a friend who is
becoming successful, do not be jealous of him!
Love your neighbour.

C When God erases sins, He does not even leave a
scar - not even allowing a mark to remain - for
together with the Healing He grants also
Beauty.

C Of all the afflictions that burden the human race,
there is not one, whether spiritual or bodily,
that cannot be Healed by the Holy Scriptures.

2 3
R D
S U N D A Y A F T E R P E N T E C O S T S T M A T T H E W T H E A P O S T L E & E V A N G E L I S T 1 6 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
15.

AL L GL ORY , HONOU R AND WORS H I P T O T HE FAT H E R , AND T O T HE S ON, AND T O T H E HOL Y S P I RI T , NOW AND
FOR E V E R , AND U NT O T HE AGE S OF AGE S . AME N
RE ME MB E R I NG AL S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU RE , MOS T BL E S S E D AND GL OR I OU S L ADY , MA RY , T HE OT OK OS Y E T
EVE R VI RGI N , T OGE T HE R WI T H AL L T HE S A I NT S . AND L E T U S COMMI T OU R S E L VE S AND ONE ANOT HE R AND OU R
WHOL E L I F E T O CH RI S T OU R GOD. AME N.
16 NOVEMBER 2014
23RD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
TONE ( 6) PLAGAL 2
THE CAL LI NG OF ST MAT T HE W LEVI , HOL Y AP OST L E OF CHRI ST & EVANGE L I S T

AL S O T HE FEAS T OF ST MAT T HE W FUL V I ANOS , PRI NCE OF ET HI OP I A ST SER GI OS OF MAL OPI NE GA,
NOV GOR OD ST HY P AT I OS OF GANGRA

Angelike Dinamis epi to Mnima Sou ke i filassontes
apenekrothisan. Ke istato Maria en to tafo, zitousa to
ahranton Sou Soma. Eskilevsas ton Adin, mi pirasthis
ip aftou. Ipintisas ti Partheno, Doroumenos tin Zoin.
O Anastas ek to nekron, Kyrie, Doxa Si.

The Angelic Powers were in Thy Tomb, and the guards
became as dead men, and Mary stood by the Tomb
seeking Thy Most Pure Body. Thou led captive
Hades, yet were not tempted thereby: Thou Who art
the Bestower of Life came to meet the Woman.
Glory to Thee, O Lord, Who Rose again from the
dead!
F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N - S T M A R K , A P O S T L E & E V A N G E L I S T T O N E 3
Apostole Agie, ke Evangelista Mattheos Presveve to
Eleimoni Theo, ina ptesmaton afesin, parashi tes
psihes imon.
O Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, Intercede with
our Merciful God to grant remission of sins to our
souls.
F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N - S T M A T T H E W , A P O S T L E & E V A N G E L I S T T O N E 3
Thias ikousas, fonis tou Logou, ke tis pisteos, to fos edexo,
katalipsas teloniou ton sindesmon; othen Hristou tin
aporriton kenosin, evingeliso Matthee Apostole. Ke
nin presveve, dothine tis se gererousi, ptesmaton
ilasmon ke Mega Eleos.
Thou heard the Words Divine Voice, and accepted the
Light of Faith, and abandoned the bond with the
customs-house; whence, O Matthew Apostle, thou
brought all the Good News of Christs ineffable
Kenosis. And now, intercede, to be granted to those
who honour thee, Atonement for their faults and
Great Mercy
F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N - E N T R Y O F T H E E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S T O N E 4
O Katharotatos Naos tou Sotiros, i politimitos pastas ke
Parthenos, to Ieron Thisavrisma tis doxis tou Theou,
simeron isagete, en to oiko Kyriou, tin Harin
sinisagousa, tin en Pnevmati thio. In animnousin
Angeli Theou. Afti iparhi skini epouranios.
herself she brings the Grace in the Divine Spirit. She
Tabernacle is she.
R E S U R R E CT I ON GOS P E L 1 MA T T H E W 28 : 16 - 2 0
T H E G R E A T C O M M I S S I O N O F O U R L O R D J E S U S C H R I S T
P R OK E I ME N ON - P S A L M 2 7 T ON E ( 6) P L A GA L 2
Save, O Lord, Thy People, and Bless Thine Inheritance
Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord my God!
T H E E P I S T L E OF S T P A U L T O T H E R OMA N S 1 0 : 1 1 11 : 2
WH I L E I S R A E L R E J E C T E D T H E H O L Y G O S P E L O F C H R I S T , T H E G E N T I L E S A C C E P T E D I T
Brethren: Scripture says: ... whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and
Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ... whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be
Saved.
How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have
not heard? And how shall they hear without a Preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel of Peace, who bring Glad Tidings of Good
Things!
But they have not all obeyed the Gospel, for Isaiah said: ... Lord, who has believed our report?
So then Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
And I said: have they not heard? Yes indeed! Their sound has gone out to all the Earth, and their words to the ends of the
world. An I said: did Israel not know? First Moses said: ... I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a Nation.
I will move you to anger by a Foolish Nation.
And Isaiah was very bold and said: ... I was found by those who did not seek Me. I was made manifest to those who did
not ask for Me. And to Israel he said: All day long I have stretched out My Hands to a disobedient and contrary
people.
I say then: has God cast away His People? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the Tribe of
Benjamin. God has not cast away His People whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah,
how he pleads with God against Israel...
Belief and Confession were both Old Covenant themes, St
Isaiah emphasised the Faith of the heart, and St Joel
emphasised the Confession of the mouth.
Both Holy Prophets teach that Divine Grace and Faith are
universally offered to all people.
16. 2 3
R D
St Paul left the Hebrews with no excuse for rejecting the
Holy Gospel of Christ.
He insisted that God always fulfils all His Divine Promises
completely and without fail.
Furthermore God has given the Hebrews extraordinary
opportunities to come to Faith.
God sent His Message throughout all Creation and Israel
heard it but did not believe.
Therefore, God turned to the Gentiles, who not only
listened carefully and heard the Divine Truth but they
also accepted it and believed.
The Hebrew Nation demanded Signs to persuade them
even though God had them the continual Signs of
fulfilled Prophecy.
Jewish unbelief in Christ raises the question of whether or
not ... God cast away His People...
The answer is most definitely not so! For had God cast
away His People, no one would have been Saved no
one would have received Eternal Life.
However, St Paul himself was living proof of Gods Divine
Salvation and Life in Christ for he was being Saved.
There was also a Remnant of Hebrews who had listened,
heard and believed.
St Elijah prefigured this Remnant of Believers when he
thought that he alone followed God.
Because only a few Hebrews heeded the Holy Prophet of
God, St Elijah, in his day, so, too, only a few of that
great Nation heeded and followed Christ and His Holy
Apostles.
The Divine Grace of God Saves those who are willing for
God never forces Himself on us nor does He enslave
us.
The Nation of Israel was unwilling for they sought
Righteousness on their own terms through the works of
the Old Covenant Law and not through Faith in Christ
and the New Covenant of Almighty God.
God has given mankind a spirit of stupor as a result of
our refusal to believe not as the cause of it.
T H E HOL Y GOS P E L ACCOR D I N G T O S T MA T T H E W 9 : 9 1 3
T H E C A L L I N G O F S T M A T T H E W L E V I
At that time, our Lord Jesus passed on from there and saw a man named Matthew sitting at the Tax Office. And He said to
him: Follow Me. And he arose and followed Him.
Now it happened as Jesus sat at the table in the house that, behold: many Tax Collectors and sinners went and sat down
with Him and His Disciples.
And when the people saw it, they said to His Disciples: Why does your Teacher eat with Tax Collectors, outcasts and
sinners?
When Jesus heard that, He said to them: Those who are well have no need of a Physician, but those who are sick, do.
Go and learn what this means: I desire Mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to Call the Righteous, but
sinners, to Repentance.
St Matthew was also named Levi. (Mark 2 :14)
The Roman Authorities assigned specific areas to the
Hebrew Tax Collectors, who were free to collect extra
revenues for their own profit.
Their collaboration with the occupying Roman
oppressors, their fraudulent practises and their
blatant corruption caused other Hebrews to despise
and even hate them regarding them as being
unclean traitors.
When our Lord and His Disciples entered the home of a
Tax Collector probably St Matthew Levi and dined
with them, having accepted one of them as a
Disciple, it outraged and offended the self-righteous
Pharisees and Scribes.
Yet, our Lord Jesus Christs defence was simple:
HE GOES WHEREVER THERE IS THE GREATEST NEED FOR
HEALING WHETHER PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL.
And these Lost Sheep of the Flock of Israel certainly
needed His Divine Mercy and Love, in order to see the
error of their ways and Repent.
Thus He instructed the scandalised Pharisees and Scribes
and anyone else to learn what God means when
He says: I desire Mercy not sacrifice! (Hosea 6:6)
These words were not a rejection of the Old Covenant
sacrifices per se, but rather a Divine Declaration that
MERCY IS A HIGHER PRIORITY REQUIRED BY GOD FROM US, IF
WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE HIS DIVINE MERCY AND
ETERNAL LIFE IN HIS KINGDOM OF LOVE.
S T MA T T H E W L E V I HOL Y A P OS T L E OF CH R I S T & E V A N GE L I S T
St Matthew, was also named Levi. (MARK 2:14; LUKE 5:27)
He was one of the Twelve Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ
and brother of St James Alphaeus the Apostle (MARK 3:18;
LUKE 6:45; ACTS 1:13; MARK 2:14).
He was a Publican, or Tax-Collector for Rome, in a time
when the Jews were under the rule of the Roman
Empire.
He lived in the Galilean city of Capernaum and when St
Matthew heard the Call of our Lord Jesus Christ: Come,
follow Me he left everything and followed the Him.
(MATTHEW 9:9)
Christ and His Disciples did not refuse St Matthews
invitation to dine at his home, where they shared the
table with the Publicans friends, family and
acquaintances who were also Publicans and known
sinners.
Obviously, upon hearing of this, it disturbed and outraged
the self-righteous Pharisees and Scribes.
Publicans who collected taxes from their countrymen did so
with great profit for themselves. Usually greedy and
cruel people, the Jews considered them pernicious
betrayers of their country and religion.
The very word Publican or Tax Collector, for the Jews
had the connotation of public sinner and idol-
worshipper.
To even speak with or to socialise with a Tax-Collector was
considered a sin and defilement.
Nevertheless, the Jewish Teachers were incapable of
comprehending that our Lord had ...come to Call - not
the Righteous, but sinners - to Repentance. (MATTHEW
9:13).
St Matthew, having acknowledge, Repented and Confessed
his sinfulness, repaid fourfold anyone he had cheated,
and he distributed his remaining possessions to the
poor, before following Christ together with the other
Apostles and Faithful Disciples.
St Matthew was particularly attentive to the Instructions of
the Divine Teacher all His Teachings and
Commandment - and he personally witnessed our
Saviours innumerable Divine Miracles.
By accompanying Christ and His Apostles, St Matthew
heard every word that our Lord preached to ...the Lost
Sheep of the House of Israel. (MATTHEW. 10:6)
Consequently, being a close Disciple, St Matthew also
witnessed the persecution, the suffering, the death, and
the Glorious Resurrection, and, finally, the Ascension
into Heaven of the Eternal, Incarnate Son of God.
The Apostles chose St Matthew Levi by lot to make up, once
again the Twelve Apostles of Christ, due to the Betrayal
and suicide of Judas Iscariot
After having received the Divine Grace of the Holy Spirit,
which descended upon the 120 Apostles and Disciples
on the Day of Pentecost, St Matthew preached in
Palestine for several years.
At the request of the Jewish converts in Jerusalem, St
Matthew wrote his Gospel, describing the Earthly Life of
our Lord and Saviour, before departing to preach the
Gospel in faraway lands.
In the order of the Books of the New Testament, the Holy
Gospel of St Matthew comes first - and Palestine is
acknowledged as the place where the it was written.
St Matthew wrote in Aramaic, and then it was translated
into Greek.
Although the Aramaic text has not survived, many of the
linguistic and cultural-historical peculiarities of the
Greek translation give indications of it.
St Matthew preached among people who were awaiting the
Great Messiah and his Holy Gospel manifests itself as
vivid proof that our Lord Jesus Christ is truly the
Messiah foretold by the Holy Prophets of God and he
2 3
R D
17.
also made it very clear that there would not be any
other Great Messiah or Christ of God. (MATTHEW 11:3).
The Preaching and the Deeds of our Lord and Saviour are
presented by St Matthew in three divisions, constituting
three aspects of the Service of the Messiah:
as Prophet and Law-Giver (CHAPTER 5-7)
as Lord over the world - both visible and invisible
(CHAPTER 8-25)
as High Priest offered as Sacrifice for the sins of all
mankind (CHAPTER 26-27).
The Theological content of the Gospel according to St
Matthew - besides the Christological themes - includes
also the Teaching concerning
the Kingdom of God and His Holy Church, which our
Lord Jesus Christ set forth in Parables about our
essential Inner Preparation for entering into the
Kingdom (CHAPTER 5-7),
the worthiness of servers of the Church in the world
(CHAPTER 10-11)
the Signs of the Kingdom and its growth in the soul
of all mankind (CHAPTER 13)
the Humility and simplicity of the Inheritors of the
Kingdom (MATTHEW. 18:1-35; 19 13-30; 20:1-16; 25-27; 23:1-28)
the Eschatological Revelations of the Kingdom in the
Second Coming of Christ within the daily
Spiritual Life of the Church (CHAPTER 24-25).
The Kingdom of Heaven and the Church are closely
interconnected in the Spiritual Experience of
Christianity because the Church is the historical
embodiment of the Kingdom of Heaven in the world,
and the Kingdom of Heaven is the Church of Christ in
its Eschatological Perfection. (MATTHEW 16:18-19; 28:18-20).
St Matthew carried the Holy Gospel of Christ to Syria,
Media, Persia, Parthia, and finished his Preaching in
Ethiopia with a martyrs death.
At that time, Ethiopia was inhabited by tribes of cannibals
with primitive customs and beliefs.
However, St Matthew converted some of the idol-
worshippers to Faith in Christ, and founded the Church
there by building a temple in the city of Mirmena.
He then elected his Faithful Companion, St Platon, as
Ethiopias First Bishop.
While the Holy Apostle of Christ was fervently Entreating
God for the conversion of the Ethiopians, our Lord
Jesus Himself appeared to him in the form of a Youth.
He presented St Matthew with a staff, and commanded him
to plant it at the doors of the church.
The Lord told His Apostle that a Tree would grow from this
staff and it would bear Fruit, and from its Roots would
flow a Stream of Water.
Everything happened exactly as our Lord had said, and
when the Ethiopians washed themselves in the Water
and ate the Fruit, they immediately lost their wild ways
and became gentle and good.
One day, as St Matthew was carrying the staff towards the
church, he was met by the wife and son of the Ruler of
the land, Fulvian, who were afflicted by unclean spirits.
In the Name of Christ the Holy Apostle healed them and
this Divine Miracle converted a number of the pagans to
the Lord. But the pagan Ruler did not want his subjects
to become Christians who would cease to worship the
pagan gods, so he accused St Matthew of evil sorcery
and issued orders for his arrest and execution.
Having seized and bound St Matthew, the executioners tied
him upside down to a pole, piled up a huge heap of
brushwood and ignited it.
However, as the fire flared up, everyone saw that the flames
did not harm St Matthew. So Fulvian ordered more
wood to be added to the fire, and - frenzied with
boldness - he commanded twelve idols to be set up
around the fire. But the tremendous heat melted the
idols and the flames flared up toward Fulvian.
The terrified Ethiopian Ruler entreated St Matthew for
Mercy, and by his Intercessory Prayers the flames were
suddenly extinguished.
The body of St Matthew the Holy Apostle and Evangelist of
Christ remained unharmed, while his soul Reposed in
Christ.
Although Fulvian deeply regretted having executed such a
Holy man, he still had doubts.
By his command, the Holy Relics of St Matthew were placed
into an iron coffin, which was then thrown into the sea.
By doing so, Fulvian declared to the people that if the God
of St Matthew preserved the body of the Holy Apostle in
the water as He had preserved him in the fire, then this
would be a good and proper reason to worship this One,
Powerful, True God.
That night St Matthew appeared in a Vision to St Platon the
Bishop and instructed him to go with the Clergy to the
shore of the sea where they would find his body.
So it was that Fulvian and his retinue went with St Platon
the Bishop and the Clergy to the shore of the sea where
they indeed found the casket, which was then carried
with much reverence to the church that the Evangelist
and Faithful Apostle of Christ had build.
Before all the people, Fulvian begged for forgiveness from
St Matthew and he repented all his sins.
Afterwards St Platon Baptised him and his entire family, as
well as a great multitude of his people.
St Platon bestowed the honourable name of Matthew in
Obedience to a Commandment of God.
Immediately afterwards, St Fulvian-Matthew abdicated his
rule and became a Presbyter, and upon the Repose of St
Platon the Bishop, St Matthew the Apostle appeared in a
Vision to him and exhorted him to lead the Ethiopian
Church of Christ.
Having been elected Bishop, St Fulvian-Matthew toiled
ceaselessly and most Faithfully at preaching and
teaching the Divine Truth of Almighty God, thereby
continuing the Sacred Labours of his Heavenly Patron.
http://oca.org/saints/lives/2014/11/16/103313-apostle-and-
evangelist-matthew
ON T R U T H
When I was a teenager I was taught by a Methodist
Pastor that there were many Paths to God besides
Christianity. He described it as climbing a mountain.
Some Paths went around the mountain and
zigged and zagged, but the Christian Path was one
that climbed straight to the top.
I held on to this notion until quite recently not realizing
how it was weakening my Faith.
I see now how it caused me to wander in my Spiritual
Pursuits seeking the Right Path.
This way of thinking along with those who say ...all
religions are the same, that they teach similar values
and so forth... discounts your belief in the Truth of
Jesus Christ.
You cannot hold a strong view about what you believe if
you think it is only one of many paths.
Often we are taught that it is arrogant to claim that our
Faith is the absolute Truth. After all, others make the
same claim.
But it's just as arrogant for someone to claim that there
are many paths. They are taking a position that they
have a larger, higher view than you, and are
claiming a greater and superior truth.
We cannot be ashamed of proclaiming what we know to
be Truth.
Jesus Christ is a historical reality. The True Nature of
Christ is critical to understand and believe.
It was fought over in the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
It was always affirmed that He is incarnate God.
He is both fully Man and fully G - not just some virtuous
person or esteemed Prophet.
Only Christians believe this Divine Truth.
It is through our understanding of this Mystery of God's
Revelation that we have the best chance at finding
True Joy and Salvation from the turmoil, suffering and
death we face in this worldly life.
Because so many claim to have the Truth and seem to
want to impose it on others, there is much strife in the
world caused by the different religions.
The solution is not to condemn religion or to stamp it out.
This only causes greater suffering.
Mankind needs religion as proven by its continual
growth.
It is the Christian Truth Divine Truth - that offers the
greatest hope for Peace and Harmony in the world.
18. 2 3
R D
As Christians we believe that all people are created in the
Image and Likeness of God.
We know that everyone has within them the potential to
be Virtuous.
In addition to this Christians recognize that we are all
sinners.
We are in practice less than our Orthodox Christian
beliefs should make us.
Even though we are sinners we know that God still Loves
us.
If He Loves us as sinners, surely He also Loves all others
who have not understood the Truth of Christianity.
SAINT SILOUAN put it this way:
While still a child I would pray for those who offended
me.
I used to pray: O Lord, lay not sins on them because of
me.
But although I loved praying, I did not escape sin.
Still the Lord remembered not my sins, and gave me to
Love people - and my soul longs for the whole world
to be Saved and dwell in the Kingdom of Heaven, and
see the Glory of the Lord, and delight in the Love of
God.
I judge by my own case: if the Lord so Loved me, it must
mean that He Loves all sinners in the same measure
as He Loves me.
Others may even be more moral than we are, but does
moral behaviour guarantee us Salvation?
No! Our Salvation is based on our Faith and our Love of
God and a Life of Repentance where we seek His
Grace to help us become United with Him following
His Teachings out of this Love and Faith.
This requires great Humility on the part of a practising
Orthodox Christian.
We must recognize our sinfulness, our weaknesses and
failings out of our Love of Jesus Christ and what He
has taught us.
We know His Teaching to be True as it has been recorded
for us unerringly in the Holy Gospels and maintained
in Purity by the Orthodox Church.
Strife in the world comes when one group feels it is
superior to others.
Such superiority leads to marginalization and even
persecution.
Christians know this superior attitude as pride.
This is one of the greatest of sins.
It is the sin of Adam and Eve and it blocks our
Relationship with God.
As practising Christians, we cannot accept that we are
greater than others, but we must insist that we are the
greatest of sinners.
We are taught to live by loving our neighbours -, no
matter what their religion or beliefs - and to live with
Humility knowing and being all too aware of our
human condition.
We are called to master our own failings and to help
others do the same.
This is the Sacred Mission of the Church. It is a place
where we come to be Healed and United with Christ.
Our beliefs help us to develop a loving Relationship with
all others - regardless of their beliefs.
This is something that can be witnessed since the
beginning of Christianity.
The early Christians were diverse in their make up, which
was scandalous at the time.
They were selfless and generous in helping others, even
in times of plague where many gave their lives while
helping the sick.
They even faced persecution with peace of mind.
True Christians are Peace Makers and generous to all
human beings.
As Christian, we need to hold firmly to our Faith.
We cannot let it be discounted by those who say it is only
...one of many paths!
Our Orthodox Christian Faith is a Path that offers the best
hope for world Peace and universal Salvation.
The Teachings of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will
not make us arrogant, but will develop our Humility.
By Faithfully following Christ we will not be led to oppress
or marginalize others.
We must be wary of those who claim ...there is no
absolute Truth... - who claim that ...all religions are
the same... or that they are ...just different paths.
Such erroneous ideas will surely weaken our Faith.
With Humility of mind by seeing and acknowledging
that we are sinners - we know that we have the
correct Faith that has been revealed to us by God
Incarnate, Jesus Christ, Who was Conceived of the
Holy Spirit, born of a Virgin, Who lived a Life without
sin, Who was unjustly killed by crucifixion, Who was
Resurrected and Who Ascended into Heaven -
opening the Gates of Paradise for all mankind.
Our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to establish His
Church so we could all live as loving Communities
being led to a Union with Him.
This is the Absolute Truth of the Orthodox Faith.
We must make every effort not to be lukewarm Christians.
The late Bishop Augoustinos of Florina wrote:
The soul seeks Truth. Truth is the atmosphere in which
the soul lives and rests. It is the Living Water, the
Heavenly Bread.
But only Jesus Christ has this Bread.
He declared that He is the Truth, the Incarnate Truth: "I
Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6)
DEACON CHARLES JOINER ST GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL,
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA. USA
HTTP://ORTHODOXWAYOFLIFE.BLOGSPOT.COM/
ST THE OP HANE S T HE RECL US E:
True Christians test themselves every day.
Daily testing to see whether we have become better or
worse, is so essential for us that without it we cannot
be called Christian.
Constantly and persistently we must take control of
ourselves by doing as follows:
From the morning we must establish thought about our
Lord God firmly in our mind and then during the
whole day resist any deviation from these thoughts.
Whatever we are doing, with whomever we are speaking,
whether we are going somewhere or just sitting, we
must let our mind be with the Lord.
We will, no doubt, forget ourselves and stray from this
Path; but again, we must immediately turn to our Lord
and rebuke ourselves with sorrow.
This is the Discipline of Spiritual Attentiveness.
ST NEKT ARI OS OF PENT AP OLI S & AE GI NA
Put all your cares before God.
He cares for you.
Do not become faint-hearted, and do not distress
yourself.
He Who searches out the hidden depth of our soul,
knows our desires too, and as the Power to fulfil
them as He knows best.
For your part, ask of God and do not lose your courage.
Do not think that, sing the longing you have is Holy, you
have a right to complain, when your Prayers are not
heard.
God fulfils your longings in a manner that you do not
know.
So be at Peace then, and call upon God.
ST SI LVANOS T HE AT HONI T E:
Our Lord greatly Loves repenting sinners and mercifully
presses them to His Bosom: Where were you, My
Child? I was waiting a long time for you.
Our Lord Calls all to Himself with the Voice of the Holy
Gospel, and His Voice is heard in all the world: Come
to Me, My Sheep. I created you, and I Love you. My
Love for you brought Me to Earth, and I suffered all
things for the sake of your Salvation, and I want you
all to know My Love, and to say, like the Apostles on
Mount Tabor: Lord, it is good for us to be with Thee!

E N T R A N C E I N T O T E M P L E E V E R B L E S S E D V I R G I N MA R Y - 2 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 19.

AGE S . AME N
RE ME MB E R I NG AL S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU RE , MOS T BL E S S E D AND GL OR I OU S L ADY , MA RY , T HE OT OK OS
Y E T EVE R VI RGI N , T OGE T HE R WI T H A L L T HE S A I NT S . AND L E T U S COMMI T OU RS E L V E S AND ONE ANOT HE R AN D
OU R WHOL E L I F E T O CH R I S T OU R GOD. AME N .
21 NOVEMBER 2014
ENTRANCE I NTO TEMPLE OF THE EVER BLESSED VI RGI N MARY

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N E N T R A N C E O F V I R G I N M A R Y T O N E 4
Simeron tis Evdokias Theou to
proimion, ke tis ton anthropon
Sotirias i prokirixis. En Nao tou
Theou tranos i Parthenos diknite,
ke ton Hriston tis pasi
prokatangellete. Afti ke imis
megalofonos voisomen. Here! Tis
Ikonomias tou Ktistou i Ekplirosis!

Today is the prelude of Gods Good
Pleasure, and the Proclamation of
Humanitys Salvation. In the Temple
of God, the Virgin is presented
openly, and in Herself She announces
Christ to all. Let us, then, with a
Great Voice cry aloud to Her: Rejoice!
O Thou who art the Fulfilment of the
Creators Dispensation!
F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N E N T R Y I N T O T E M P L E O F T H E E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S , V I R G I N M A R Y
herself she brings the Grace in the Divine Spirit. She
Tabernacle is she.
F E S T A L MA T I N S GO S P E L : L U K E 1 0 : 3 9 4 9 & 5 6
In those days Mary arose and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of
Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe
leapt in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art Thou among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of Thy
Womb! But why is this granted to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the
voice of Thy greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leapt in my womb for Joy. Blessed is she who believed, for
there will be a fulfilment of those things that were told her from the Lord.
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He has regarded
the lowly state of His handmaiden; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me Blessed. For He Who is
Mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His Name. And His Mercy is on those who fear Him from
generation to generation. He has shown Strength with His Arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of
their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with
good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His
Mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever
And Mary remained with her about three months, and then returned to her house.
F E S T A L P R O K E I M E N O N :
My soul magnifies the Lord,
For He has regarded the Humility of His handmaiden!

T H E E P I S T L E O F S T P A U L T O T H E H E B R E WS 9 : 1 7
THE EART HL Y SANCT UAR Y AND T HE DI VI NE LI T URGY
Brethren: indeed, even the First Covenant had Ordinances of Divine Service and the earthly Sanctuary. For a
Tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the Lamp Stand, the Table, and the Showbread, which is
called the Sanctuary; and behind the Second Veil, the part of the Tabernacle, which is called the Holiest of All,
which had the Golden Censer and the Ark of the Covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the
Golden Pot that contained the Manna, Aarons Rod that budded, and the Tablets of the Covenant; and above it
were the Cherubim of Glory overshadowing the Mercy Seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
Now when these things had been thus prepared, the Priests always went into the first part of the Tabernacle,
performing the Services. But into the second part the High Priest went alone once a year, not without blood,
which he offered for himself and for the peoples sins committed in ignorance.
T H E H O L Y GO S P E L A C C O R D I N G T O S T L U K E 1 0 : 3 8 4 2 & 1 1 : 2 7 - 2 8
HE AR T HE WORD OF GOD AND LI VE I T !
At that time, it happened as they went that Jesus entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha
welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus Feet and heard His Word.
But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said: Lord, dost Thou not care that
my sister hath left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.
And Jesus answered and said to her: Martha, Martha, thou art worried and troubled about many things. But one
thing is needed, and Mary hath chosen that good part which will not be taken away from her.
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 Thee, and the breasts that nursed Thee! But He said: More than that,
Blessed art those who hear the Word of God and keep it!
20. E N T R A N C E I N T O T E M P L E E V E R B L E S S E D V I R G I N M A R Y - 2 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
ENTRANCE I NTO THE TEMPLE ALL HOLY AND EVER VI RGI N MARY - ST JOHN OF KRONST ADT
On this day, my Brethren, the Holy Church celebrates the
solemn Entry into the Temple in Jerusalem of the three-
year-old Blessed Daughter of Righteous parents, St
Joachim and St Annato be in instructed in the Lord.
St Zacharias the Elder High Priest met Her with priestly
splendour; and as he was instructed to do by the Spirit
of God, and accompanied by other young maidens, he
carried Her, into the most interior part of the Temple -
the Holy of Holies, where the High Priest himself enters
but once a year, and where the Holy of Holies - the Lord
Himself - dwelt, for She was to become the Mother of
His Flesh.
The Most Blessed Virgin was taught the Hebrew written and
spoken language as well as Prayer by the Holy Spirit and
she spent all her time praying, reading and
contemplating the Word of God and doing various
handiwork for the Temple..
Her Love of converse with God and for reading the Word of
God was so great that she forgot about food and drink,
However, at God's request, an Archangel nourished Her
with Heavenly Food.
She is an excellent example for fathers, mothers, and their
children - for Christian maidens and youths!
We are all obligated as Faithful Disciples of our Lord Jesus
Christ, as servants of our Heavenly Queen our Lady
Theotokos who is the Founder of Spiritual Instruction
- to emulate as well as we can Her Fervent Love for God,
Her zeal for reading the Word of God, for Prayer, for
Divine Contemplation, Self-restraint, and love of labour!
If we do not want to be unworthy Spiritual Members of
Christ's Churchthe Holy House of God, the Queen and
Mother of which is the Most Holy Virginthen we
should also have the same dedication to God as She has.
May Her Children by Grace be of one spirit with Her!
Let us all learn from Her how to Love the Lord, our Creator,
more than anything else in the world - more than father
and mother, more than anyone dear to us.
May we all learn from Her how to avidly study the Word of
Godsomething unfortunately not often seen amongst
many of the Disciples of Jesus Christ.
May we all learn the warmth of heart and love with which
we must pray to our Lord and how we must dedicate
ourselves wholeheartedly to Him - to entrust our fate to
His All Wise and All-Good Providence.
May we all learn from Her with what Purity, Meekness,
Humility, and Patience we must always clothe and
adorn ourselves and not with the vain embellishments
of this adulterous and sinful world, which knows no
bounds of luxury and elegance in bodily clothing.
And may we all learn from Her how to Love a Life with God
and the Saints, which is ...more than to dwell in the
tents of sinners. (PSALM 83:11)
Since the Most Holy Virgin was brought into the Temple to
be instructed in the Lord, let us contemplate the benefit
and necessity of regular attendance at Church - the
House of God where we are raised and nurtured for the
Heavenly Kingdom and Eternal Life.
We are identified as Christians, for we are all Called by
Jesus Christ to His Heavenly Kingdom we are all
Called to be Heavenly Citizens, Divine Inheritors, Co-
Inheritors with Christ.
Our Calling is very high (Sacred) and our duties are also
just as important - so our spirit should be very exalted,
Holy, Meek, and Humble.
Who will show us what makes up our Christian Calling and
Duty, of what Spirit we must be, and how we should
behave ourselves in various life situations?
Who will give us the Strength to Live in the Spirit of Christ?
The Holy Church of Christ gives us all this and more!
We can receive these Spiritual Powers in the Temple of God
through Her Holy Mysteries.
In the Holy Church a Heavenly, Unearthly Spirit hovers;
here is the School of Jesus Christ, in which future
Heavenly Citizens are educated.
In the Holy Church we receive Heavenly Lessons from the
Divine Teacher, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and
the Holy Spirit in the Gospels.
In the Holy Church we receive Heavenly Food and Heavenly
Drink, Spiritual, Heavenly Garments, and Spiritual
Armaments against the enemies of Salvation.
In the Holy Church we receive the Peace that is a Foretaste
of Heaven, which is so necessary to our Spiritual
Activity and Education, and Strength for our Spiritual
Labours and Struggle against sin.
In the Holy Church we partake of sweet conversation with
our Heavenly Father and the Most Holy Queen and
Mother of God, with the Angels of our Lord and the
Saints.
In the Holy Church we learn how to pray, and what to pray
for.
In the Holy Church we find examples of all the Christian
Virtues in the Saints who are Commemorated each day.
In the Holy Church, we are gathered together in the House
of God, as Children of one Heavenly Father, as Members
of the Mystical Body of Christ - and we learn how to
Love one another as Members of Christ and as Christ
Himself.
How beneficial and how vital it is for us to attend the Holy
Services in God's Temple, which is a School of Faith and
Piety founded by God, a Sacred Treasure, and ...as His
Divine Power has granted to us all things that pertain to
Life and Godliness... it is the Treasury of all the Divine
Mysteries of Christ! (2 PETER 1:3)
Furthermore, the benefit and necessity for us to attend is
more clearly revealed by comparing the Church with the
vain world, which distracts so many of us.
In the world, at every step there is vanity, delusion, and
vice, while in Church is Truth, Sanctity, and every kind
of Virtue.
In the world there is corruption, sin, and death, while in the
Church there is the Incorruption of the Saints and
Eternal Life.
Outside Church there is overwhelming worldly vanity that
feeds on ...the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life. (1 JOHN 2:16).
In the world there are things that constantly entice and
captivate us, which cause us to neglect or abandon the
Divine Commandments of God, our Creator and the
Saviour of all.
For example, here in this building were kept fabrics of
every sort and colour. Those fabrics were the object of
adoration of the daughters of wealthy men, who lived
for them, who were inspired by them, who rejoiced over
them, but not over God!
The sparkle of silver and gold adornments stun and entice
the gaze of those who worship everything glittering and
attractive.
No matter where we direct our attention in the world, we
see only decay, vanity, and sin everything is
temporary and worldly: empty, vain conversations, vain
activities that distract us and make us forget all about
Heaven, God, and Eternal Life in Christ.
Only in pious homes do the Icons of our Lord Jesus Christ,
His Most Pure Mother, and His Saints remind us that we
as Christians, Disciples of Christ, and Members of
Christ, Members of His Kingdom, look for the
Resurrection of the dead and the Life of the Age to
come, in which we shall Unite with the Lord and the
Saints, having Cleansed ourselves of all defilement of
flesh and spirit.
What a difference there is between the Holy Temple - the
House of God - and the sin-darkened world!
How beneficial and necessary it is for us to attend Holy
Services in the Temple of God in order to educate
ourselves for the Heavenly Kingdom, in order to bring
the spirit of Christ into ourselves and to engender
Heavenly, Saintly Manners within ourselves.
Where else - besides in God's Temple - will we hear the
Word of God the Absolute, Perfect, Divine Truth?
Where, beside in Church, will we receive the Divine
Mysteries of Faith?
Where, beside in Church, will we obtain the Spiritual
Strength to Live in Christ?
We must Love going to God's Temple, so that we are able to
prepare the Temple of our own selves for God: ... You
also, as living stones, are built up a Spiritual House, a
Holy Priesthood, to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ... (1 PETER 2:5).
Parents, teachers, and relatives must take or send their
children to Church often - every Sunday and Feast Day
without fail - and not to the theatre, where they will
only learn what the young should not know.
In Church, they will hear the Name of the Lord more
frequently.
E N T R A N C E I N T O T E M P L E E V E R B L E S S E D V I R G I N MA R Y - 2 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 21.
In Church, they will learn the Great Truth of the Creation of
the world and mankind.
In Church they will come to know our Saviour, the Ever
Blessed, All Pure and Holy Mother of God, and the
names of the Saints.
They will learn about the Resurrection of the dead, the
Future Judgment, the Future Life, and the Eternal
torments of sinners.
They will learn from the Spirit of God to be good and
Faithful Christians - and that is more valuable than
anything in the world.
Amen.
ST. JOHN OF KRONSTADT
TRANSLATED BY NUN CORNELIA (REES)
03 / 12 / 2011
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/43276.htm
T H A N K S G I V I N G CO MMU N I O N F A T H E R S T E P H E N F R E E MA N
Whom should I thank?
The question is normally a matter of polite
acknowledgement. A gift was given and received. Who
gave it? Whom should I thank?
It is inherently the nature of giving thanks that thanks
must be given to someone. I cannot give thanks to
nothing or no one. As such, the giving of thanks is an
act of communion on one level or another.
Father Alexander Schmemann, in the last Sermon of his life,
said: Everyone capable of thanksgiving is capable of
Salvation and Eternal Joy.
I would expand that and say as well, that everyone capable
of thanksgiving is capable of becoming human for the
fullness of our humanity is found primarily in
communion.
And the Communion of Thanksgiving is perhaps
communion at its deepest level.
The prominent place of Thanksgiving within the Life of the
Old Covenant seems strangely obscured by most
Christian treatments. The system of sacrifice is often
misunderstood. The offering of bulls and goats is easily
interpreted as a system of payments to an angry God.
Our sins have created a Debt and deserved guilt. What is
owed to God must be paid. But this very treatment of
sacrifice is condemned within the Old Covenant itself.
I know all the birds of heaven, and the ripe fruit of the
field is with Me. If I were hungry, I would not tell you:
for the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the
flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to
God a sacrifice of Praise and pay your Vows to the
Most High.(PSALM 49/50 LXX)
The offering given to God is given in Thanksgiving or it is
useless.
It is quite accurate to view the whole of the life given to
Israel as an Economy (DISPENSATION) of Thanksgiving.
The system of the Tithe, giving to God a tenth of
possessions, is not a system of payments, rent given
to a Heavenly Landlord. It is an offering of
Thanksgiving, an Act of Communion, sharing with God
the very life of the land itself.
God and Israel have a communion in the land something
which truly makes it the Land of Promise.
The system of the Sabbath, when rightly observed, has the
same character.
The Sabbath Day represents Gods Time, set aside from
labour. Acquisition stops. Time itself becomes an Act of
Thanksgiving.
The more radical practice of the Sabbath, when an entire
year (the Seventh Year) is set aside, demonstrates how
profound the nature of this Communion was intended
to be. Debts were cancelled in the Seventh Year.
We set others free from their bonds because God has set us
free from ours. Former slaves should not create new
slaves it would be an act that negated the giving of
thanks.
It seems to me not surprising that the penal substitution
theory of the Atonement has had such a cultural
popularity over the centuries. It became at home in a
penal culture one of debts and punishments.
The good, the industrious, the diligent and the frugal
prosper and reign. The sluggard, the weak, and the
slothful fall ever further into poverty, driven by their
own sin. There are many things that ameliorate this
model in modern culture, but it remains at the
structural heart of our lives.
The Atonement, Christs Death and Resurrection, do not
have a place within such a structure.
His Death is not a payment within a world of payments an
ultimate sacrifice that we could not afford. It is rather
the trampling down of the whole world of payments,
demolishing the greatest Debt of all: Death.
The Sacrifice of Christ is not like the blood of bulls and
goats, only human. It is Life poured out on Death,
Thanksgiving triumphing over necessity.
Every Act of Thanksgiving is a Communion in the Death
and Resurrection of Christ. It is for that reason that the
thankful are capable of Salvation for the giving of
thanks makes manifest the fundamental shape of
Salvation.
All of this is the reason that from the earliest times, the
offering of Christs Body and Blood has been known as
the Eucharist.
It is the Thanksgiving.
Were this not so, the Church would have named this most
central Act of its Life something else: the Lords Supper
or Holy Communion.
These are later titles given in an effort to distinguish
Protestant worship from Catholic.
The word Eucharist is returning to common usage,
however. It will be truly significant when the Eucharist
(Thanksgiving) returns to Christians as a Way of Life.
The stuff of our daily lives should have more kinship with
Old Covenant Sabbath-thought than with the theories of
Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, Maynard Keynes and the
like. For when we work for some reason apart from the
giving of thanks, we labour as slaves, bound to
whatever it is that we perceive as necessary.
Christ would free us from such bondage:
Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today
is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not
much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying: What shall we eat? or
What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For
after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your
Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and His
Righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you. (MATTHEW 6:30-33 LXX)
This is not a Commandment from Christ to cease working.
But it is a Commandment to work rightly.
Our labour is right and good when it is done in Communion
with God, and this is done primarily in the giving of
thanks.
The heart of Thanksgiving precludes the sense of
entitlement for who gives thanks if what he has was
something to which he was entitled?
My work, my cleverness, my investments do not give me
claim to wealth. For if they give me claim to wealth,
then why should I be grateful for what I have?
But Christ gives us everything: All things come of Thee, O
Lord, and of Thine own have we given Thee.
And: Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee, on
behalf of all and for all.
If all that I have is a Gift for which I give thanks, a means of
Communion with God, then why should I begrudge
sharing it with anyone? Indeed, the Act of Sharing is
itself a primary and inherent part of giving thanks. We
give to others because what we have has been given to
us. Like Israel, we have Communion with all those who
are strangers to the goods of this world, for we
ourselves once were strangers:
...Also you shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the
heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the
land of Egypt. (EXODUS 23:9)
The giving of thanks is not a moral activity: like
communion, it is a mode of existence.
There is no Christianity that does not include the giving of
alms. Sharing belongs to the ontology of the Faith.
...But do not forget to do good and to share, for with
such sacrifices God is well pleased. (HEBREWS 13:16)
FATHER STEPHEN FREEMAN,
ST ANNE ORTHODOX CHURCH, OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE
http://glory2godforallthings.com/2013/11/26/thanksgiving-
communion/
E N T R A N C E I N T O T E M P L E E V E R B L E S S E D V I R G I N M A R Y - 2 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
22
F OR S A K E N B Y A R CH P R I E S T ( P R OT OP R E S B Y T E R ) J OH N MOS E S
In my forty years of Ministry, I have counselled a number
of people who suffered from a deep sense of
loneliness. Over time, whatever family of friends they
had known disappeared from their life.
This resulted in a cloud of depression, a feeling of being
forsaken, that hung over them.
You can try to tell them that they are not really alone,
that our Lord Jesus Loves them and is always with
them, but I found that it rarely helped.
One man reminded me that even our Lord Jesus cried out
on His Cross: My God, why hast Thou forsaken
Me?
FEELING FORSAKEN IS A VERY HUMAN EMOTION, AND IT IS
CERTAINLY ONE THAT WE WANT TO AVOID IF POSSIBLE.
We always want to have family and friends around us up
until the day we die.
Yet, to be honest, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE FEEL FORSAKEN
EVEN WITH A LARGE FAMILY AND MANY FRIENDS.
People let us down and sometimes they arent available
for us. Sometimes, people are unkind or even bullies,
and we feel very alone. Sometimes, things that we
thought we understood or relied on like the
government or a club we belonged to or even the
Church goes in directions that we dont understand or
agree with.
We can feel alone or forsaken.
Finally, LIFE CAN SOMETIMES BECOME SO DIFFICULT, PAINFUL OR
DISAPPOINTING THAT WE FEEL THAT GOD HAS ABANDONED
US. We join our voice to the forsaken cry of the
Crucified Lord God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?
Considering all of this, it may seem strange to say that
our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to live a Forsaken Life.
Lets consider the following from the Holy Gospel
according to St Matthew:
...Whosoever therefore shall Confess Me before men,
him will I Confess also before My Father Who is in
Heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men,
him will I also deny before My Father Who is in
Heaven.
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not
worthy of Me: and he who loves son or daughter
more than Me is not worthy of Me.
And he who takes not his Cross, and follows after Me,
is not worthy of Me.
In the Orthodox Church, we talk a lot about Confession
and people often ask about how to make a good
Confession.
IT IS CERTAINLY VITAL THAT WE EXAMINE OURSELVES AND
CONFESS TO THE PRIEST SO THAT WE CAN PARTAKE OF
HOLY EUCHARIST.
However, Confession is a more that this.
CONFESSION IS HOW WE LIVE EACH DAY. It is a witness made
to family, friends, and the world.
A little Greek will help us to understand:
The word for witness is , or martyr.
There was a time when confessing our Lord Jesus meant
rejection, persecution, and even death. It meant that
everyone would forsake you including your family.
Our Lord Jesus knew what would happen to those who
followed Him, and so He spoke of a Cross that we
would carry.
ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF THIS CROSS IS THE EXPERIENCE OF A
FORSAKEN LIFE.
IF ANYONE IS NOT WILLING TO LIVE A FORSAKEN LIFE, THERE IS
NO USE IN FOLLOWING CHRIST OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR.
Our modern, contemporary society is glad that giving
witness to our Lord Jesus Christ does not mean living
a Forsaken Life.
We thank God that we live in a more cultured and
advanced society where all are free to exercise their
religion. Oh, really?
Maybe it is just me, or maybe it is the experience of
ripening age that makes me feel like such a dinosaur.
As a young man, I lived a rather radical life and I was very
liberal in my politics. Now, it seems as if the world
has changed, especially in regards to Christianity.
There is an uneasy feeling abroad that CONFESSING OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST WILL ONCE AGAIN MEAN MARTYRDOM
OF SOME TYPE OR ANOTHER.
AMERICAN SOCIETY (AND ELSEWHERE IN TODAYS FALLEN
WORLD) SEEMS DETERMINED TO CREATE A COMPLETE
SECULAR STATE IN WHICH GOD HAS NO PART IN THE PUBLIC
SPHERE.
Most of us are happy to be Christian as long as it doesnt
cost us too much, especially if it doesnt cost us our
family or friends whom we hold dear.
People often tell me that they just cant cross themselves
in public or pray over meals.
Why? The truth is that WE DONT WANT TO BE REJECTED OR
RIDICULED by co-workers, fellow students, or friends.
I have had the honour of assisting people as they
journeyed into the Orthodox Faith.
As far as I know, most have remained Orthodox, but sadly
some fell away.
They found that the Orthodox Witness - the Orthodox
Lifestyle or Life in Christ - demanded too much from
them.
There were those who came close to the Faith, but backed
away because of the fear that their family would
oppose or reject them.
THEY FACED THE CROSS BUT COULD NOT EMBRACE IT.
SOME EMBRACED THE FAITH, BUT NO LONGER WITNESS TO IT BY
THE WAY WE SHOULD LIVE.
WE NO LONGER PRAY ON A REGULAR BASIS; WE NO LONGER FAST
WITH ANY CONVICTION, AND WE ARE LAX IN OUR STUDY,
SUPPORT, AND ATTENDANCE AT HOLY SERVICES.
WE ARE ORTHODOX IN NAME ONLY and our neighbours dont
bother us. Why should they?
We live a lifestyle that matches their lifestyle and there is
little in the way we live that makes us stand out.
IS IT ANY WONDER THAT OUR FAITH IS SO WEAK - WHY
ORTHODOXY MEANS SO LITTLE TO US - AND EVEN WHY WE
FEEL FORSAKEN WHY WE FEEL SO FAR FROM GOD.
The corrosive power of this modern day culture is strong.
Who willingly takes up a Cross?
What would motivate us to do so?
Again, let us consider the Holy Gospel according to St
Matthew:
When St Peter said to our Lord Jesus Christ: Behold, we
have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we
have therefore? He replied: . every one who has
forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My Names
Sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit
Everlasting Life. But many that are first shall be
last; and the last shall be first.
OUR LORD IS DEMANDING OF US, BUT HE IS ALSO INFINITELY
GENEROUS.
We shall receive a hundredfold for what we have
forsaken and in addition, Everlasting Life.
A hundred fold! Now there is a wise investment! If we
could get that kind of return in the financial world, we
would sell everything and invest!
Even though we know that we cannot reap what we do not
sow, WE PUT VERY LITTLE EFFORT INTO FOLLOWING OUR
LORD JESUS. (WE WANT ALL THE BLESSINGS AND SPIRITUAL BENEFITS FROM
GOD BUT MAKE NO EFFORT ON OUR PART!)
He tells us that we should clearly understand that IF WE
ARE ASHAMED OF HIM ...in this adulterous
generation... and will give no witness to His Divine
Truth, then NEITHER WILL HE CONFESS US in the world to
come!
Now is the time to CONFESS OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR, JESUS
CHRIST, IN WORD AND IN DEED.
Now is the time to LIVE A FORSAKEN LIFE IN CHRIST even if
it means that we will be rejected by family and
friends.
And if it is so, then let us REJOICE AND HAVE COURAGE, for
although the world may consider us to be of no
consequence - the last of all - IN THE SIGHT OF GOD WE
WILL BE THE FIRST.
At the end of our life, we will truly forsake all things of
this temporary life possessions, family, friends,
reputation - will all pass away.
May it never be that we end this life having forsaken the
Lord our God and all His Goodness, for then we will
certainly be abandoned for all Eternity!
ARCHPRIEST JOHN MOSES FATHER OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
http://www.pravmir.com/forsaken/#ixzz3DZJaMDUx

24
T H
SUNDAY AF T E R PE NT E COS T 9
T H
OF ST LUKE THE RI CH MAN & HI S BARNS 23 NOVE MB E R 2014 23.

AL L GL ORY , HONOU R AND WOR S H I P T O T HE FAT H E R , AND T O T HE S ON, AND T O T HE HOL Y
S P I RI T , NOW AND FORE VE R , AND U NT O T HE AGE S OF AGE S . AME N
RE ME MB E R I NG AL S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU RE , MOS T BL E S S E D AN D GL OR I OU S L ADY ,
MA RY , T HE OT OK OS Y E T E VE R VI R GI N , T OGE T HE R WI T H AL L T HE S A I NT S . AND L E T U S COMMI T
OU R S E L VE S AND ONE ANOT HE R AND OU R WHOL E L I F E T O CH R I S T OU R GOD. AME N .
23 NOV E MB E R 2014
2 4
T H
S U N D A Y A F T E R P E N T E COS T
A F T E R F E A S T O F E N T R Y I N T O T E M P L E

TONE ( 7) VARYS/ GRAVE

9 T H S U N D A Y O F S T L U K E
T H E R I C H MA N A N D H I S B A R N S

AL S O T HE FEAS T OF ST AMP HI L OCHI OS OF I CONI UM ST GREGORY OF
AGRI GENT UM ST SI S I NOS T HE CONF ES S OR OF CY Z I K OS ST AL EX ANDER
NEV S KY , RI GHT E OUS PRI NCE OF PERE S L AV L - ZAL E S S K ST
MET R OP HANE S / MAK AR I OS OF VOR ONEZ H - ST T HE ODOR E OF ANT I OCH ST
ANT HONY T HE HES Y CHAS T OF I EZ ER UL - VI L CE A SKET E - ST GRE GORY PER ADZ E OF
GEOR GI A

R E S U R R E C T I O N A P O L Y T I K I O N T O N E ( 7 ) V A R Y S - G R A V E
Katelisas to Stavro Sou ton Thanaton. Ineoxas to listi ton
Paradison. Ton Miroforon ton thrinon metevales ke
tis sis Apostolis kirittin epetaxas, oti Anestis, Hriste
O Theos, parehon to kosmo to Mega Eleos.

By Thy Cross Thou destroyed Death; Thou opened
Paradise to the Thief; Thou changed the funeral wail
of the Myrrh-bearing Women, and Commanded them
to announce to Thine Apostles that Thou had Risen
from the dead, O Christ our God, Who bestows upon
the world Great Mercy!
F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N - E N T R Y - E V E R B L E S S E D V I R G I N M A R Y - T O N E 4
Simeron tis Evdokias Theou to proimion, ke tis ton
anthropon Sotirias i prokirixis. En Nao tou Theou
tranos i Parthenos diknite, ke ton Hriston tis pasi
prokatangellete. Afti ke imis megalofonos voisomen.
Here! Tis Ikonomias tou Ktistou i Ekplirosis!
Today is the prelude of the Good Pleasure of God for
mankind, and the Proclamation of our Salvation; in
the Temple of God, the Virgin is clearly revealed, to
all foretelling the Coming of Christ. Wherefore, let
us cry to her with a mighty voice: Rejoice O
Fulfilment of the Creators Dispensation.
F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N O F T H E E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S
Herself She brings the Grace in the Divine Spirit. She
Tabernacle is She.
R E S U R R E CT I ON GOS P E L 2 MA R K 1 6: 1 - 8
T H E H O L Y M Y R R H B E A R E R S WI T N E S S O U R R E S U R R E C T E D L O R D S E M P T Y T O M B
P R OK E I ME N ON
The Lord will grant Strength to His People.
Bring to the Lord, you sons of God! Bring to the Lord Glory and Honour!
T H E E P I S T L E OF S T P A U L T O T H E E P H E S I A N S 2 : 1 4 22
O U R L O R D I S T H E D I V I N E M E A N S O F O U R P E A C E A N D U N I T Y
Brethren, Christ Himself is our Peace Who has made both (Him and you one) and Who has broken down the
middle wall of separation, having abolished in His Flesh the enmity that is, the Law of Commandments
contained in Ordinances so as to create in Himself one New Man from the two, thus making Peace, and
so that He might reconcile them both to God in one Body through the Cross, thereby putting to death the
enmity.
And He came and preached Peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we
both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow Citizens together with the Saints and
Members of the Household of God, having been built on the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets
Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone, in Whom the whole structure, being fitted together,
grows into a Holy Temple in the Lord, in Whom you also are being built together for a Dwelling Place of
God in the Spirit.
Mankinds brokenness was twofold:
MAN WAS SEPARATED FROM MAN that is Gentile from
Hebrew through prejudice and animosity.
MAN WAS SEPARATED FROM GOD alienation from God
and His Goodness through our wilful, arrogant,
ignorant and stubborn sin.
Our Healing is likewise twofold:
GODS CREATION OF A UNIFIED HUMANITY Christs Holy
Church all His Faithful Disciples and Holy
Priesthood who struggle to LIVE IN CHRIST.
24. 24
T H
T H
OF ST LUKE THE RI CH MAN & HI S BARNS 23 NOV E MB E R 2014
THE RAISING OR ELEVATION OF THIS UNIFIED HUMANITY TO
GOD THROUGH THE CORRECT TEACHINGS, GUIDANCE,
PRACTICES AND WORSHIP OF HIS HOLY CHURCH.
The Incarnation of the Eternal and Only Begotten Word
and Son of God accomplished the Holy Unification
of all mankind while His Passion and Glorious
Resurrection accomplished the worthy elevation of
mankind.
OUR RECONCILIATION - SPIRITUAL RENEWAL WITH GOD IS DUE
TO HIS GREAT MERCY AND LOVE and is only possible
because the Holy Trinity works in Perfect Unity to
achieve everything: the Divine Will of God the
Father, through and IN God the Son, and activated
and enabled by God the Holy Spirit.
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR HAS TAUGHT US ALL WE NEED TO KNOW and
which we need to apply to our daily lives in order to
become worthy Citizens of His Eternal Kingdom
and everything He has taught us is founded on
Divine Love Agape which we need to learn and
to achieve for our own Spiritual Perfection and
which we will carry into Eternal Life.
WITHOUT THE LOVE OF GOD AGAPE WE CANNOT MAKE ANY
SPIRITUAL PROGRESS WHATSOEVER!!
The middle wall of separation referred to the barrier
that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the
Court of the Hebrews, which revealed the limitations
of the Old Covenant.
The Old Covenant did not heal humanitys self-
alienation from God and one another and in fact,
increased hostility and distrust, and even hatred.
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS BROKEN DOWN THE SPIRITUAL
BARRIERS THAT SEPARATE AND ALIENATE US FROM GOD AND
EACH OTHER.
THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ALL HUMANITY IS UNIFIED AND
RECONCILED.
Furthermore, the Holy Church of Christ, which is
HUMANITY UNIFIED AND RENEWED THROUGH OUR PERSONAL
UNION WITH AND COMMITMENT TO THE INCARNATE,
ETERNAL SON AND WORD OF GOD is built on the
unshakable Foundation of Jesus Christ, His Holy
Apostles and Holy Prophets.
FROM THIS ETERNAL AND DIVINE FOUNDATION COME THE HOLY
SCRIPTURES AND ALL HOLY, TRUE DOCTRINE (TEACHING).
The HOLY GIFTS that ARE GRANTED TO US FOR OUR SPIRITUAL
DEVELOPMENT AND PERFECTION BY GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT,
are a continuing Reality in the Holy Church.
THE SPIRITUAL STRUCTURE OF THE HOLY CHURCH IS ONE FOR IT
IS DESIGNED TO BE ETERNALLY UNITED.
T H E HOL Y GOS P E L ACCOR D I N G T O S T L U K E 1 2 : 1 6 - 21
T H E H A R V E S T O F T H E R I C H M A N & R E M E M B R A N C E O F D E A T H
At that time, our Lord Jesus narrated a Parable to them, saying: The ground of a certain Rich Man yielded
abundantly. And he thought within himself: What shall I do, since I have no space in which to store
my crops? And he thought: I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build even greater, and there
I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul: Soul,, you have many good laid up
for many years take your ease eat, drink, and be merry!
But God said to him: Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be
that you have provided?
Likewise is he who lays up treasures for himself yet is not rich towards God!
In ancient times, IT WAS CUSTOMARY FOR RESPECTED RABBIS OR
TEACHERS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE TO ARBITRATE PERSONAL
DISPUTES ACCORDING TO MOSAIC LAW OLD COVENANT
LAW AND WISDOM.
However, A DISPUTE OVER AN INHERITANCE IS ALWAYS
DETRIMENTAL TO OUR ETERNAL SALVATION because THIS
TYPE OF GREED IS PURE IDOLATRY and UNFITTING FOR
ANYONE WHO KNOWS GOD OR WHO HAS A CLOSE
RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THROUGH CORRECT AND FAITHFUL
LIFE IN CHRIST.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SACRED LESSON IS THE QUESTION
that our Lord puts to each of us concerning our
material, earthly treasures: ...whose will those
things be...?
THOSE WHO ARE OBSESSED WITH TEMPORARY, PERISHABLE,
EARTHLY POSSESSIONS ARE VERY RARELY CONCERNED WITH
GOD OR OTHERS.
Their only concern is gaining more and more by any
means possible.
THEY ARE SO CONSUMED BY THEIR WORSHIP OF MAMMON AND
BECOME SO ENSLAVED BY THEIR DESIRES FOR MORE THAN THEY
ALREADY HAVE, THAT THEY WILL NEVER HAVE TIME TO RELAX
AND ENJOY THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOURS.
Being so shackled by their earthly desires, THEY HAVE NO
TIME OR CONCERN FOR GOD OR THE WELFARE OF OTHERS.
EVERYTHING WE HAVE HAS BEEN GRANTED TO US BY OUR ALL
MERCIFUL, LOVING AND BENEVOLENT GOD, Who
always Blesses us with abundance so that we
are able to SHARE IT WITH OTHERS AND THUS PROVE OUR
LOVE OF GOD AND OUR FELLOW MANKIND.
It is essential to UNDERSTAND EARTHLY POSSESSIONS
CORRECTLY.
ALL EARTHLY POSSESSIONS ARE TEMPORARY none last forever.
Although EARTHLY POSSESSIONS AND SOCIAL STATUS do not
directly contribute to our Spiritual Welfare, they
certainly CAN AFFECT OUR ETERNITY OUR SALVATION OR
ETERNAL LIFE.
It all depends on HOW WE GAIN MATERIAL WEALTH AND SOCIAL
STATUS AND WHETHER WE PUT IT TO GOOD USE OR NOT not
only for our own advantage or benefit but FOR THE
WELFARE OF OTHERS especially those less Blessed than
us.
Furthermore, IT IS USELESS TO STORE UP ANYTHING FOR
FUTURE USE because that may never happen and
it will be wasted on us (lost, rusted, broken,
stolen or decomposed).
The storing up of material goods for the future reveals
A DEEP-SEATED DISTRUST OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE OF
GOD.
It also reveals THE DENIAL OF OUR INEVITABLE REPOSE i.e.
our departure from this earthly life delaying
anything for tomorrow - that may never come!
BY STORING MATERIAL GOODS AND BY NOT USING THEM, WE
DEPRIVE OTHERS WHO ARE IN NEED OF THEM
We must MAKE GOOD USE OF THE PRESENT NOW! TODAY! AND
ALL ITS DIVINE BLESSINGS AND WHATEVER WE DO NOT NEED
OR USE, MUST BE GIVEN TO OTHERS.
Far too many people live in the past or live for the
future earthly life rather than FULFILLING OUR SACRED
DUTIES IN THIS PRESENT TIME - BY APPRECIATING EVERY
MOMENT WE HAVE - TO IMPROVE OUR SPIRITUAL STATE AND
TO HELP OTHERS THUS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS TOWARDS
ETERNITY.
ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM believed that THE ONLY BARNS WE NEED
we already have, which ARE ...THE STOMACHS OF THE
POOR.
ST BASIL THE GREAT taught us that ...THE BREAD IN OUR
CUPBOARD BELONGS TO THE HUNGRY MAN; THE COAT
HANGING UNUSED BELONGS TO THE ONE WHO NEEDS IT; THE
SHOES ROTTING IN OUR CLOSET BELONG TO THE ONE WHO HAS
NO SHOES; AND THE MONEY WE HOARD BELONGS TO THE
POOR.
ST AMBROSE cautioned us: THE THINGS THAT WE CANNOT
TAKE WITH US ARE NOT OURS! ONLY VIRTUE WILL BE OUR
COMPANION WHEN WE DIE.
Even in ancient times, WHEN JOSEPH STORED UP GRAIN IN
EGYPT, IT WAS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE WHOLE NATION.
(GENESIS 41)
This is THE MOST RELEVANT, MOST BASIC AND MOST
SIGNIFICANT SACRED LESSON OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
AND
IT APPLIES TO EACH OF US AND TO EACH HOLY PARISH OF THE
ORTHODOX CHURCH, FOR IT WILL MOST CERTAINLY APPLY
TO OUR FINAL JUDGEMENT.

24
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OF ST LUKE THE RI CH MAN & HI S BARNS 23 NOVE MB E R 2014 25
THE RICH MAN & HIS BARNS A LIFE WORTHY OF CHRIST
The failure of the Rich Man is not due to the fact
that he was rich, nor was he condemned
because similar to that other Foolish Young
Man he was unwilling to respond obediently to
our Lord Jesus Christs Commandment: ... If
you want to be Perfect, go, sell what you have
and give to the poor, and you will have
Treasure in Heaven. And come, follow Me.
(MATTHEW 19: 16 22)
THE RICH MAN WAS CONDEMNED BECAUSE HE PLACED
MORE CONFIDENCE IN HIS WEALTH AND POSSESSIONS
THAN IN GOD!
In short: the Rich Man was an idolater!
Idolatry is nothing more or less than worshipping
(being obsessed with) the works of our own
hands.
Contrasting what God expected from Israel with
the behaviour of the Gentiles, St David the Royal
Psalmist and Holy Prophet of God wrote: Their
idols are silver and gold the work of mens
hands. They have mouths, but they do not
speak; eyes they have, but they do not see.
They have ears, but they do not hear; noses
they have, but they do not smell. They have
hands, but they do not handle; feet they have,
but they do not walk; nor do they mutter
through their throat. Those who make them,
are like them. So is everyone who trusts in
them. (PSALM 115:4 -8)
There is no life in the man-made idols and THOSE
WHO WORSHIP THEM, WORSHIP DEATH AND WILL
THEMSELVES BECOME MERE DEAD THINGS.
It is worth noting that St David the Psalmist did not
say that idolaters would die because of
Adams sin, we all eventually die but that THEY
WILL BECOME LIKE THE DEAD IDOLS THEY WORSHIP.
IDOLATERS SELF-IMPOSED FATE IS WORSE THAN DEATH, for
they will have a mouth, but be unable to speak
words of affection to those they love.
They will have ears that cannot hear the sound of a
childs laughter, and a nose that cannot smell
blossoms.
Their hands will never know the joy and fulfilment
of work and their feet will never carry them to
the warm embrace of their beloved.
Worst of all, the idolaters throat an image in the
Old Testament of the soul will never be filled
with the Breath of God and therefore THEIR VOICE
WILL NEVER BE RAISED IN THE ANGELIC HYMN: Holy,
Holy, Holy, Lord Sabaoth, Heaven and Earth
are filled with Thy Glory! Hosanna in the
Highest! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name
of the Lord! Hosanna to God in the Highest!
ON THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL, THE RICH MAN
STANDS SELF-CONDEMNED, which is what we all
need to understand clearly.
IDOLATRY IS SELF WORSHIP, but it conceals within itself
a more serious failure.
IDOLATRY IS a form of radical, really ontological,
SELF-HATRED.
When we love someone whether it is God or
another person, or even ourselves it is not so
much that we desire the person or have warm
feelings for them when we think of them.
Love ... does not seek its own... good but instead
it seeks that which is best for our Beloved. (1
CORINTHIANS 13 :5 )
In his idolatry, THE RICH MAN SOUGHT NEITHER THAT
WHICH WAS BEST FOR OTHERS, NOR EVEN THAT WHICH
WAS BEST FOR HIMSELF.
St Cyril of Alexandria believed that THE RICH MAN
WITHHELD FROM THE POOR the surplus of the
...great supply... of the ... many Blessings
beyond all number... that surrounded him.
The Rich Man did not ... cherish Love for the
poor... nor did he even ... desire the esteem...
that he would have won for himself from others
if he had cared for those in need.
Like the dead idols that are made of silver and
gold, HE WAS COLD AND HARD, AND LIFELESS.
He had lost the ability to ... sympathise with the
suffering... of others who were less fortunate
than himself.
HE HAD BECOME TOTALLY NUMB TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES
OF HIS FELLOW MANKIND his neighbours so he
felt no pain nor pity for them in their distress
or need.
Instead of a rich Life of Compassion for others a
Life filled with mutual respect and overflowing
with Gratitude to God for the abundant
Blessings he had received, he knew only his own
abject poverty of distress and anxiety.
HAVING PLACED HIS TRUST ONLY IN HIMSELF IN THE
WORKS OF HIS OWN HANDS AND IN HIS OWN WISDOM,
THE RICH MAN HAD CONDEMNED HIMSELF TO A LIVING
DEATH!
St Ambrose of Milan taught us that WEALTH WITHOUT
VIRTUE IS SIMPLY USELESS ACCUMULATION.
We should therefore, all contemplate this Rich Man
and ask ourselves: What Virtues did he lack
that I should strive to acquire for myself?
The Rich Man clearly lacked any concern for the
poor, the needy and the destitute, so, when we
examine ourselves in light of his poor example,
we should realise that WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION A
SACRED COMMITMENT TO CARE FOR THOSE WHO ARE
LESS BLESSED THAN US TO DISTRIBUTE GENEROUSLY
AND COMPASSIONATELY OUR EXCESS WEALTH AND
POSSESSIONS TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MORE THAN US.
In some ways, it is easier to simply give away all
that we possess and there is ample evidence
from our Holy Church Fathers and the Saints
that suggest we should do just that.
They gave away all that they had to the poor and
then lived a Life of voluntary poverty.
As admirable as their good examples are, they do
not address the great sin that our Lord Jesus
Christ condemned by means of this Parable.
The Rich Mans failure was not that he did not give
everything away but the fact that HE GAVE
NOTHING AWAY! HE HOARDED EVERYTHING HE
POSSIBLY COULD!
WORSE THAN THAT, HE DID SO OUT OF INDIFFERENCE TO
THE FACT THAT ... THE DAYS OF THIS LIFE ARE
SHORT... AND THE TIME THAT WE ARE GRANTED IS
UNCERTAIN although death is never unexpected.
Death comes to every human being eventually.
The Rich Man forgot that like the rest of
humanity and especially the needy who were
beneath his notice he, too, was mortal. He
too, was a creature who was absolutely
dependent on God and relatively dependent on
his neighbours.
By his actions, and especially BY HIS INACTIONS, THE
RICH MAN BETRAYED THE GREAT TRUTH OF HIS LIFE IN
FAVOUR OF SELF-WORSHIP.
Consequently, for all his care and planning, THE
RICH MAN WAS TOTALLY UNPREPARED FOR HIS OWN
DEMISE. (St Leo the Great)
What about us? How can we improve ourselves in
order to prepare for our own Repose?
Looking at my own life, I realise that I cannot meet
every need, or give as much of my time or
earthly treasures as I would like to do.
24
T H
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OF ST LUK E THE RI CH MAN & HI S BARNS 23 NOV E MB E R 2014
26
This does not mean that I should give nothing.
As St Augustine pointed out, THE RICH MAN WAS
CONDEMNED FOR TWO SINS: PRIDE AND INDIFFERENCE.
At least for most Christians, when it comes to
caring for others, it is the former that typically
results in the latter.
IT IS PRIDE THAT CONDEMNS US. IT IS PRIDE THAT MAKES
US THINK THAT IF WE CANNOT DO THE GOOD DEEDS
THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, WE SHOULD NOT DO
ANYTHING AT ALL!
If we tremble with fear at the thought of God
addressing us as fools, NOTHING SHOULD PREVENT
US FROM DOING GOOD DEEDS TO A GREATER OR LESSER
DEGREE DOING WHATEVER WE CAN - WHENEVER WE SEE
A NEED.
Consequently, THE CURE FOR PRIDE AND INDIFFERENCE IS
HUMILITY, OBEDIENCE AND GRATITUDE, FOR THESE
VIRTUES ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR LIFE IN CHRIST a
Life that is worthy of Christ, Who Commanded
us: ... he who has ears to hear, let him hear!!
Amen
FAT HE R GRE GORY - KOI NONI A
HT T P: / / PAL AMAS . I NF O/ A- L I FE - WORT HY- OF-
CHRI S T / #MORE- 7140
WA L K I N G I N L OV E
This is Love: that we walk according to His Commandments. This is the Commandment: that as you have
heard from the beginning, you should walk in it... (2 JOHN 6)
How easy it is to say: I love you. But to put your
love into action is quite a bit more difficult.
Consider the Liturgical Love Walks we take:
circling the Baptism Font, the tetrapod at
Weddings and the Holy Altar at Ordinations -
always counter-clockwise, they sum up the past
and follow Christ into the future.
They are filled with the pure Joy of anticipation -
harbingers of future Promise.
We are happy and eager to walk in the Love that is
expressed at the celebration of those unique
and pleasant events.
But to walk in Love and to keep going when those
whom we Love are ill, or experiencing difficult
times being with them when they are not in
the mood for company or affection is not much
fun.
To walk in Love to the nursing homes, the hospitals
or residences to visit those who can no longer
walk can be difficult for us at times.
To go to court with those we Love, or to visit those
who are shut-in, those who are bereaved,
those who need OUR COMPASSION, KINDNESS AND
CARE REQUIRES A LOVE THAT IS GRANTED TO US
THROUGH DIVINE GRACE BY THE WILL OF THE
FATHER, THROUGH CHRIST AND BY WAY OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT.
If we are unwilling to walk in Love into and through
the experiences of loss, bereavement and any
other tragic circumstances with those we
profess to love, we have not arrived at the state
of Love that is demanded of any True Christian.
To unhesitatingly accompany those we Love when
the police have called to report a serious
accident to one of their family or to a hospital
when someone is critically ill that is when
Love is put into action.
To walk in Love to the cemetery and be there to
comfort those who sorrow and grieve, when the
tears and sobs are overwhelming, is to walk in
Christs Love with those we Love.
To walk in Love is to drive long distances to be
with those we Love, or when we make ourselves
available at any time, day or night, for others
who may need us to share their emotional or
physical burdens.
When we walk in Love, other people will know that
there are no business hours for our affection.
Although most of us relish our privacy, we are
always ready to set it aside for those who are in
need of comfort, encouragement and kindness.
When we say: I love you, but do not mean that we
are prepared to go to any lengths and enter any
situation for their sake, then we are setting up
borders and limits to our love.
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AGAPE IS THE IMITATION AND
PRACTISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST FOR ALL HIS CHILDREN, according to St John
the Beloved Apostle of Christ.
Agape is very different to the love that is
expressed in most pop songs, escapist novels
and idle chatter.
Christian Love transcends sexual expressions of
love, despite the ardour of sensuality.
When we gaze upon our Loving Lord Jesus, or wear
His Empty Cross the Sign of Resurrection
against our heart, or display It in our homes,
churches and chapels, we begin to realise the
infinite implications of that True, Divine Love.
If we are unable to contemplate the response to His
Divine Love in His Saints, walking with our Lady
Theotokos and the other Holy Myrrhbearers to
the Empty Tomb on Resurrection Day, after
having watched for all those agonising hours as
He was crucified, we will realise how far we are
from being able to understand the full meaning
of walking in Love, as expressed by St John
the Divine Theologian and Holy Apostle of
Christ.
May God grant us all the ability to Walk in His
Divine Love.
Amen
http://www.pravmir.com/walking-love/
P R OL OGU E OF OCH R I D
How then does the All-seeing God Himself, see
through the marrow of our bones, through the
fog of our thoughts, and through all the secrets
of our heart?
Because He is present at our thoughts even before
they are born and present at our desires
before they are conceived. He is the one
undeceived and undeceivable Witness of all
events, external and internal, in the heights
and in the depths, in the width and in the
length. And He witnesses to our spirit
Truthfully, that which our soul desires to know
for the sake of our good benefit and for the
Salvation of our soul.
O, All-seeing and All-wonderful Witness to all the
secrets in Heaven and on Earth, the Creator
and our Good Provider: Thou alone see the
weakness of all of us. Help us, O help us, to
learn that which is necessary for the sake of
our Eternal Salvation.
To Thee be Glory and Thanks always.
Amen
S T C A T H E R I N E G R E A T H O L Y M A R T Y R O F A L E X A N D R I A 2 5 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 27.

AL L GL ORY , HONOU R AND WORS HI P T O T HE F AT HE R , AND T O T HE S ON, A ND T O T HE HOL Y S P I R I T , NOW
RE ME MB E R I NG AL S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU RE , MOS T BL E S S E D AN D GL ORI OU S L ADY , MA RY ,
T HE OT OK OS Y E T E VE R VI RGI N, T OGE T HE R WI T H AL L T HE S A I NT S . AND L E T U S COMMI T OU RS E L VE S AND
ONE ANOT H E R AND OU R WHOL E L I F E T O CH RI S T OU R GOD. AME N.
25 NOVEMBER 2014
APODOSI S OF THE ENTRY I NTO THE TEMPLE

ST CATHERI NE THE GREAT HOLY MARTYR OF ALEXANDRI A

AL S O T HE FEAS T OF ST CL EME NT , HI ER OMART Y R OF ROME ST PET ER, HI ER OMART Y R OF
AL EX ANDRI A ST AUGUS T A T HE EMPR ES S - ST MERK UR I OS & 200 COMP ANI ON HOL Y
MART Y RS OF AL EX ANDRI A - ST PET ER OF GAL AT I A ST CL EMENT , BI S HOP OF OCHRI D
MONAS T ERY , EQUAL T O T HE AP OS T L E S & ENL I GHT E NE R OF T HE BUL GAR I ANS , T OGET HE R
WI T H ST NAUM, ST SAV A, ST GORAZ D & ST ANGEL AR, DI S CI PL ES OF ST CY RI L & ST
MET HODI OS

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N - E N T R Y - E V E R B L E S S E D V I R G I N M A R Y - T O N E 4
Simeron tis Evdokias Theou to proimion, ke tis ton
anthropon Sotirias i prokirixis. En Nao tou Theou
tranos i Parthenos diknite, ke ton Hriston tis pasi
prokatangellete. Afti ke imis megalofonos voisomen.
Here! Tis Ikonomias tou Ktistou i Ekplirosis!
Today is the prelude of the Good Pleasure of God for
mankind, and the Proclamation of our Salvation; in
the Temple of God, the Virgin is clearly revealed, to
all foretelling the Coming of Christ. Wherefore, let
us cry to her with a mighty voice: Rejoice O
Fulfilment of the Creators Dispensation.
F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N - S T C A T H E R I N E O F A L E X A N D R I A
Tin Panevfimon Nimfin Hristou imnisomen, Aikaterinan
tin Thian ke Poliouhon Sina, tin voithian imon ke
antilipsin; oti efimose lambros, tous kompsous ton
asevon, tou Pnevmatos ti dinami; ke nin os Martis
stefthisa, etite pasi to Mega Eleos.
The All Blessed Bride of Christ, let us extol in song:
Catherine the Holy and Protector of Sinai, our
assistance and unfailing firm Support; for she
brilliantly muzzled the ungodly, clever men, by the
Power of the Spirit, and now, as a Crowned Martyr,
she pleads for the Great Mercy for us all.
F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S
O katharotatos Naos tou Sotiros, i politimitos pastas ke
simeron isagete, en to Iko Kyriou, tin Harin
sinisagousa, tin en Pnevmati dio: In animnousin
Angeli Theou. Afti iparhi, Skini Epouranios

The very purest Abode of the Saviour, and the Most
Priceless Bridal Chamber and Virgin, the Most Sacred
Treasure of the Glory of God, today is led inside the
House of the Lord, bringing in the Grace with Her, of
the Holy Spirit. It is for Her Gods Angels sing in
praise: She is truly a Heavenly Tabernacle!
P R OK E I ME N ON
God is Wonderful in His Saints!
Bless God in the Congregations!
T H E E P I S T L E OF S T P A U L T O T H E GA L A T I A N S 3 : 2 3 4 : 5
D I V I N E L A W I S O U R T U T O R O U R H O L Y S O N S H I P B Y F A I T H & B A P T I S M
Brethren: Before Faith came, we were kept under guard by the Law kept for the Faith that would afterwards be revealed.
Therefore the Law was our Tutor that brought us to Christ so that we might be Justified by Faith. But after Faith came,
we are no longer under a Tutor.
For you are all sons of God through Faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were Baptised into Christ have put on
Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek; neither slave nor free; neither male nor female for you are all One in Christ Jesus. And if
you are Christs then you are also Abrahams seed, and Heirs according to the Promise.
T H E HOL Y GOS P E L ACCOR D I N G T O S T MA R K 5 : 2 4 - 3 4
THE FAI T H OF THE WOMAN WHOM NO ONE COUL D HE AL
At that time our Lord Jesus went with (Jairus, one of the rulers of the Synagogue,) and a great multitude followed Him and
thronged Him.
Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had
spent all that she had and was not better, but rather grew worse.
And when she heard about Jesus, she went behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment, for she thought: If only I
may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.
Immediately the fountain of her blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that Power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and asked: Who
touched My clothes?
And His Disciples said to Him: Thou see the multitude thronging Thee, yet Thou ask: Who touched Me?
And He looked around to see her who had done so, but the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to
her, went and fell down before Him and told Him the whole Truth.
And He said to her: Daughter, your Faith has made you well. Go in Peace, and be healed of your affliction.
S T CA T H E R I N E T H E GR E A T HOL Y MA R T Y R OF A L E X A N D R I A
This ever-memorable daughter of the earthly Ruler of
Alexandria, Konstas (Kestou), was tall in stature,
incomparably beautiful, and exceedingly kind. She was
instructed in the wisdom of the Greeks, learning all the
works of the poets and philosophers, including Homer,
Virgil, Aristotle, and Plato. Not only was she well-
versed in philosophy, but in the medical writings of
Aesculapius, Hippocrates, and Galen.
28. S T C A T H E R I N E G R E A T H O L Y M A R T Y R O F A L E X A N D R I A 2 5 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
Indeed, the maiden was a master of all the nuances of many
languages, surpassing all others in rhetoric and logic.
All who saw and heard St Catherine marvelled at her
scholarship. Many of the wealthy and leading men of
the Senate besought her mother for her hand in
marriage. Her mother was a secret Christian due to the
great persecutions caused by Emperor Maximian.
St Catherines relatives and her mother urged her to marry,
so that her father's estate would not fall to another,
thus cutting her and them - off altogether.
On account of her many philosophical studies, she
cherished her virginity, having no wish to wed, and gave
many excuses to reject each suitor.
However, as they troubled her greatly over the matter, to
divert them and to avoid further efforts, she made a
proposal of her own: "Present unto me a young man
who is like me in the four Virtues in which you claim
that I am peerless among women, and I will take him as
my husband, for I will not condescend to be yoked to
one who is unworthy or inferior. Therefore, search here
and abroad for one who is equal to me in rank, wealth,
wisdom, and beauty--if such an individual exists.
Furthermore, if he is deficient in any of these areas, he
is unsuitable."
As they knew that it would be quite impossible to find such
a qualified suitor, her family suggested the son of the
Roman Emperor and other possible candidates of
exalted rank and even greater wealth, but they were all
inferior to her in the categories of erudition and
appearance, and she persisted in her refusal to contract
a marriage with an unlettered man.
Her mother had a most Holy Spiritual Confessor who was
in hiding outside the city limits so she took St Catherine
to seek advice of the wise Elder.
The Ascetic, perceiving her modesty and proper
deportment, paid close attention to her judicious and
well-spoken words, and he resolved to bring her to the
Knowledge of Christ the Heavenly King: If I am
acquainted with a Unique Man Who incomparably
transcends all those attributes you have mentioned
and countless others. His Comeliness eclipses the
radiance of the sun; His Wisdom governs those things
both perceptible by the sense and the intelligence; the
world of His Treasures is distributed to the ends of the
Earth, yet never diminishes - rather increases; His
Nobility is indescribable, infinite, inconceivable, and
incomprehensible!
The Venerable Elder expounded on many other salutary
Divine Qualities and St Catherine presumed all the while
that he referred to an earthly Prince.
Her demeanour changed and she questioned him in detail
if all the commendations and praises were indeed true
concerning this Man, and he reinforced his praises
further, extolling His other Attributes.
St Catherine enquired: "Whose Son is this Man Whom Thou
praises?" And he asserted: "He has no father on Earth,
but was born of a Most Noble and Holy Grace-filled
Virgin in a manner surpassing our understanding and
transcending the nature of generation; She was
deemed worthy by Her Sublime Sanctity to remain
Immortal both in soul and body, being assumed to the
Highest Heavens, wherein our Lady is venerated by
the Holy Angels as Queen of all Creation."
St Catherine asked: "Is it possible to see the Youth?" And
the Holy Elder responded: "If you will do as I say, you
shall be deemed worthy to behold the Radiant
Splendour of His Splendid Countenance!"
St Catherine replied: "I perceive Thee to be a Faithful
Witness and a Venerable Elder. I believe all Thou hast
revealed to me; therefore, I am prepared to follow Thine
instructions implicitly."
Then, the Ascetic Elder gave her an Icon depicting the Most
Holy Theotokos holding the Divine Child, and he
informed: "This is the Ever-Virgin Mother of the One
Whose Wonders I have extolled. Take this Sacred
Image and close the door to your bedchamber. Pray
all night with profound reverence to Her whose name
is Mary. Implore Her to condescend to reveal Her Son
and, I believe, if you pray with Faith, She will
hearken and show to you Him Whom you soul
desires."
St Catherine took the Holy Icon and returned to the
palace. She closed herself in her inner room as the
Elder had instructed.
Finally, from the tremendous effort exerted in her
Supplications, she fell asleep and beheld in a Vision the
Queen of the Angels, as portrayed in the Icon, holding
the Holy Child, Whose Person emitted rays more radiant
than the sun; yet His Face was turned towards His
Mother. Thus, St Catherine saw only His Back.
She yearned to behold His Face, and so went to the other
side; but once again He turned His Face away. This
happened thrice.
She heard the Most Holy Mother say: "My Child, look upon
Thine handmaiden Catherine! How beautiful and
comely she is!" But He answered: "Nay, rather she is
sombre and so repugnant that it is not possible for Me
to look upon her!"
The Most Holy Theotokos continued: "Is she not more wise
than all the orators, wealthy, and the most elegant in all
the cities?" But Christ replied: "My Mother, I tell Thee
that she is ignorant, poor, and contemptible!
Whosoever is in like condition, I do not wish to look
upon!"
Again, the Theotokos spoke: "I beg Thee, my sweet Child,
despise not the work of Thy Hands! But, advise and
guide her as to what she should do, so as to have a share
of Thy Glory and behold Thy Face resplendent with
Light, which the Angels long to gaze upon!" Christ then
said: "She should go to the Elder who gave her the
Icon. Whatever instructions he gives, she should do.
Then, when she desires to see, she will receive Joy and
Benefit."
Having beheld this Vision, she awoke and pondered deeply
on the matter. In the morning, she hastened with a few
other women to the Elder's cell. Falling at his feet in
tears, she related the Vision and implored him to advise
her how to proceed, that she might attain her heart's
desire.
The blessed one explained in detail the Holy Mysteries of
our True Faith, commencing with the Creation of the
Universe and the making of man. He catechized her
thoroughly as to the Second Coming of our Lord Christ
and the Ineffable Glory of Paradise in contrast to the all-
grievous and never-ending Torments.
Intelligent and quick of mind, St Catherine grasped, within
a short period of time, all the fine points of the Faith.
She believed with all her heart and was received into the
Faith through Holy Baptism at his hands, after which he
instructed her to Entreat the Most Holy Theotokos to
appear once again.
The Holy Maiden, having thus put off the "old man" and put
on a Garment woven by God, went to the palace and
kept Vigil all night, fasting and praying with tears.
Finally sleep overcame her, and she beheld the Heavenly
Queen with the Divine Child, Who looked upon St
Catherine with a Gracious Eye.
This time the Mother of God inquired of the Master Christ
if the virgin pleased Him. Our Lord answered: "She
who was formerly unillumined and unsightly is now
resplendent and glorious to behold! The poor and
ignorant one has become Wealthy and Enlightened;
the contemptible and undistinguished has become
Noble and Eminent, possessed now of so many Good
Blessings and Graces that I Am well-disposed and
desire to Betroth her to Myself as Mine Undefiled
Bride!"
At that moment, St Catherine fell prostrate weeping: "O
Exceeding Glorious Lord, I am unworthy to look upon
Thee! Make me worthy to be numbered among Thy
servants! "
The Theotokos then took the right hand of the Maiden and
said: "My Child, give her a ring as a token of Thy
Betrothal to her, so as to deem her worthy of Thy
Kingdom."
The Master Christ then gave her a beautiful ring, saying:
"Behold, this day I take thee as Mine Unsullied Bride
forever. Diligently preserve this troth inviolate, taking
no man to thyself!"
And with these words the Vision came to an end.
St Catherine arose and, verily, a ring was on her right
finger!
At that moment, her heart was enraptured with the
Divine Love of our Lord Christ.
2 5
T H
S U N D A Y A F T E R P E N T E C O S T - S T A N D R E W Z E B E D E E F I R S T - C A L L E D - 3 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 29.

AL L GL ORY , HONOU R AND WOR S H I P T O T HE F AT HE R , AND T O T HE S ON , AND T O T H E HOL Y S P I R I T , NOW
RE ME MB E R I NG AL S O OU R MOS T HOL Y , MOS T PU RE , MOS T BL E S S E D AND GL OR I OU S L ADY , MAR Y ,
T HE OT OK OS Y E T EV E R VI RGI N , T OGE T HE R WI T H AL L T H E S AI NT S . AND L E T U S COMMI T OU R S E L VE S AND ONE
30 NOVEMBER 2014
25
T H
SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

TONE ( 8) PLAGAL 4

THE CALLI NG OF THE HOLY APOSTLE, ST ANDREW

AL S O T HE FE AS T OF ST FRUME NT I OS OF ABY S I NNI A/ ET HI OPI A ( I NDI AS ) ST AL EX ANDR OS
MI T HI MNI S ST VAKHT ANG GORGAS AL I , KI NG OF GE OR GI A ST SAMUE L & ST PET ER OF
GEOR GI A

Ex ipsous katilthes O Efsplaghnos, tafin katedexo
triimeron, ina imas elevtherosis ton Pathon. I Zoi ke i
Anastasis imon, Kyrie, Doxa Si!

Thou descended from on High, O Tender-hearted One;
Thou endured the three-days burial, so that Thou
might free us from our passions, O our Life and
Resurrection: Glory to Thee!
F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N - S T A N D R E W T H E F I R S T C A L L E D A P O S T L E T O N E 4
Os ton Apostolon Protoklitos, ke tou korifeou aftadelphos,
ton Despotin ton olon Andrea iketeve, irinin ti
ikoumeni dorisasthe, ke tes psihes imon Mega Eleos.

As first of the Apostles to receive the Call, and very
brother of the Prince of them, intercede O Andrew,
with the Master of us all: Peace to all the world to
grant, and to our souls His Great Mercy.
A D V E N T K O N T A K I O N - E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S
I Parthenos simeron, ton Proeonion Logon, en Spileo
ethete apotekin aporritos. Horeve, i ikoumeni,
akoutisthisa; Doxason meta Angelon ke ton Pimenon,
voilithenta apofthine, Pedion Neon, ton Pro Eonon
Theon.
Today the Virgin comes to the Cave to give Birth
Ineffably to the Word Pre-Eternal. Hearing this, be of
good cheer, O Earth and its people: Glorify Him with
the Angels and the Shepherds, Whose Will it was to
be made manifest as a young Child the Pre-Eternal
God.

R E S U R R E CT I ON GOS P E L 3 MA R K 1 6 : 9 - 2 0
O U R R E S U R R E C T E D L O R D J E S U S A P P E A R S T O H I S A P O S T L E S & D I S C I P L E S B E F O R E A S C E N D I N G
P R OK E I ME N ON
His Proclamation went forth into all the earth, and His Words to the ends of the world.
The Heavens declare the Glory of God; the firmament shows the Creation of His Hands.
T H E F I R S T E P I S T L E OF S T P A U L T O T H E COR I N T H I A N S 4 : 9 1 6
T H E I N S P I R E D WI S D O M & P U R P O S E O F O U R S P I R I T U A L F A T H E R S
Brethren: I think that God has displayed us the Apostles last - as men who are condemned to death; for
we have been made a spectacle to the world both to Angels and to mankind.
We are fools for Christs sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are
distinguished, but we are dishonoured! Until the present hour, we hunger and thirst, we are poorly
clothed, and we are beaten and homeless. And we labour working with our own hands. Being reviled,
we Bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made like the filth of
the world the offscouring of all things until now.
I do not write these things to shame you, but as my Beloved Children, I warn you. For although you might
have ten thousand Instructors in Christ you do not have many Fathers; for in Christ I have Begotten
you through the Gospel.
Therefore, I urge you: imitate me!
ST PAUL DIRECTED A SERIES OF SHARP STATEMENTS TO THE
ARROGANT CORINTHIANS IN ORDER TO DEFLATE THEIR
PRIDE, WHICH IMPEDES SPIRITUAL GROWTH BECAUSE
NOTHING JUSTIFIES THINKING THAT WE ARE BETTER
THAN OR SUPERIOR TO ANYONE ELSE!
HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE ARE TIGHTLY INTERTWINED FOR
NEITHER IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE OTHER VIRTUE and
by achieving these two wondrous Virtues, we are able
to attain the other Virtues that are essential for our
Spiritual Progress - regaining our lost Divine Likeness
and Eternal Life with God.
In order to awaken and heal the apathetic Corinthians, St
Paul prodded them with bitter irony and sarcasm: ...
we are fools... we are weak... we are dishonoured...
THE RELATIVE COMFORT OF THE CORINTHIANS CHRISTIANS
WAS THUS CONTRASTED WITH THE STRUGGLING,
PERSECUTED, DESTITUTE AND UNCERTAIN LIFE OF THE
HOLY APOSTLES who laboured unceasingly in order to
teach, heal, guide, gather and protect the Holy Flock
of Christ our Saviour. (READ MARK 6:4; 9:35 & 10:31)
THE HOLY APOSTLES AND FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
who spread the Holy Gospel throughout the known
world ENDURED every type of humiliation,
degradation and persecution - ALWAYS TRUSTING IN
AND DEPENDING ON THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE OF OUR
LORDS GREAT LOVE, GRACE AND MERCY.
They were treated as though they were filth or
offscourings as though they were the worst type of
people by the pagans as well as misguided
Hebrews who had been instructed by their leaders to
reject them as the worst type of heretic.
YET, INSTEAD OF RETALIATING, JUSTIFYING OR DEFENDING
THEMSELVES, THE FAITHFUL DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES OF
CHRIST RESPONDED TO THEIR ANIMOSITY AND HATRED
30. 2 5
T H
S U N D A Y A F T E R P E N T E C O S T - S T A N D R E W Z E B E D E E F I R S T - C A L L E D - 3 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
WITH LOVE AGAPE UNCONDITIONAL DIVINE LOVE,
which our Lord taught us by His own Perfect Example
FOR THE TRUE JOY OF SERVING OUR LORD and
especially for the purpose of RECONCILING THE FALLEN
WORLD TO GOD.
St Paul soothed any hurt caused by his rebuke by
reminding the Corinthians of HIS SPIRITUAL
FATHERHOOD.
8 Although our Lord Jesus said: Do not call anyone on
earth your Father, for One is your Father He
Who is in Heaven. And do not be called
Teacher, for One is your Teacher the Christ...
HE WAS WARNING US AGAINST HYPOCRITICAL
SPIRITUAL LEADERS such as the self-righteous
Scribes and Pharisees WHO HAVE THEIR OWN
HIDDEN AGENDAS OF SELF-GLORIFICATION, WHICH
LEADS MANY TRUSTING BUT DECEIVED SOULS ASTRAY
AWAY FROM GOD!
However, IT WAS NOT AN ABSOLUTE PROHIBITION AGAINST
USING SUCH TERMS BECAUSE BY HIS DIVINE GRACE
CERTAIN PEOPLE DO TEACH US HIS DIVINE TRUTH AND
THOSE WHO GUIDE US IN LIFE IN CHRIST ARE OUR
SPIRITUAL FATHERS AS WE ARE THEIR SPIRITUAL
CHILDREN through Humility and Obedience to the Will
of God. (MATTHEW 23: 9 -10)
As St Paul expressed it - WE ARE BEGOTTEN AS SPIRITUAL
CHILDREN OF OUR SPIRITUAL FATHERS OF CHRISTS
HOLY CHURCH THROUGH THE HOLY GOSPEL THROUGH
OUR NEW COVENANT WITH GOD.
Furthermore, we become adopted Spiritual co-Heirs with
Christ of Gods Eternal Kingdom through Holy Baptism
into His Eternal Holy Church.
The honourable titles Teacher and Father, are applied
to people many times throughout New Covenant
Writings all of which are INSPIRED BY GOD.
Teacher is used in the following Gospel passages: JOHN
3:10 ACTS 13:1 1 CORINTHIANS 12: 28 EPHESIANS 4: 11 & 2 TIMOTHY 1:
11
Father is used in: LUKE 16:24 1 CORINTHIANS 4: 15 & COLOSSIANS
3:21
SINCE THE VERY EARLY DAYS OF CHRIST S HOLY CHURCH,
BISHOPS AND PRESBYTERS (PRIESTS) HAVE BEEN CALLED
FATHER (PATER) not because they replace God by
any means at all, but DUE TO THEIR FATHERLY CARE for
their Holy Flocks ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD
AND EXCLUSIVELY FOR HIS GLORY, HONOUR AND
WORSHIP.
As OUR SPIRITUAL FATHERS WHO LOVE US
UNCONDITIONALLY, they LEAD US TO GOD BY GUIDING
US CAREFULLY IN DIVINE TRUTH AND LIFE IN CHRIST
exercising their Fatherly Authority within our Christian
Community.
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TOLD US TO BE LIKE LITTLE
CHILDREN who trust their parents implicitly.
ACCORDINGLY, WE SHOULD TRUST AND OBEY OUR
NURTURING, GUIDING SPIRITUAL FATHERS WITHOUT
QUESTION OR ARGUMENT ASSURED BY AND CONFIDENT
IN THEIR WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE
THAT IS GREATER THAN OUR OWN DUE TO THEIR
LIFELONG, DIVINELY INSPIRED SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.
St Paul encourages us as he exhorted the Corinthians
to IMITATE HIM since he unremittingly strove to imitate
our Lord Jesus Christ IN EVERYTHING!
T H E HOL Y GOS P E L ACCOR D I N G T O S T J OH N 1 : 3 5 5 2
T H E F O R M E R D I S C I P L E S O F S T J O H N T H E B A P T I S T & F O R E R U N N E R F O L L O W E D O U R L O R D J E S U S C H R I S T
At that time, the following day, John stood with two of his Disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he
said: Behold! The Lamb of God! The two Disciples, having heard his words, followed Jesus.
And Jesus turned, and seeing them following Him, said to them: What do you seek? And they said to Him:
Rabbi: (which is to say, when translated: Teacher,) ... where art Thou staying? And He said to them:
Come and see. And they went and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day. (It was
about the tenth hour.)
One of the two who had heard John speak, and who had followed Him, was Andrew - Simon Peters brother.
He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him: We have found the Messiah! (which is translated:
the Christ.) And he took him to Jesus. When Jesus looked at him, He said: Thou art Simon the son of
Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas, (which is translated: Stone.)
The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him: Follow Me.
Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him: We have
found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph. And Nathanael said to him: Can anything Good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him:
Come and see!
Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards Him, and said of him: Behold: an Israelite indeed, in whom is no
deceit! Nathanael said to Him: How dost Thou know me? And Jesus answered: Before Philip called
thee, when thou were under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and said to Him: Rabbi! Thou
art the Son of God! Thou art the King of Israel! Jesus replied: Because I said to thee; I saw thee under
the fig tree, dost thou believe? Thou will see greater Things than these!
And He said to him: Truly, I say to thee: hereafter thou shalt see Heaven open, and the Angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.
OUR LORDS FIRST DISCIPLES HAD BEEN FAITHFUL
FOLLOWERS AND STUDENTS OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
AND FORERUNNER TO CHRIST, WHO HAD PREPARED THEM
FOR THE MESSIAH:
ST ANDREW and his brother Simon ST PETER whom
Christ nicknamed Cephas because his Faith would
become as solid as a rock;
ST PHILIP and ST NATHANAEl who was also known as St
Bartholomew who, as the previous two Disciples
were from Bethsaida.
ST JOHN who was the closest and most beloved of all our
Lords Apostles, who devoted his entire life to the
Service of God and who was, by Divine Grace, the first
True Theologian of Christ and to whom our Lord
entrusted the care and protection of His All Pure, Holy
Mother.
ST NATHANAEL OR BARTHOLOMEW HAD THE PUREST OF
HEARTS AND SOULS AND WAS ALWAYS UTTERLY
STRAIGHTFORWARD AND UNCOMPLICATED.
What exactly had occurred when St Nathanael was
under the fig tree remained undisclosed obviously
insignificant.
St John Chrysostom pointed out that it was the meeting
place of St Philip and St Nathanael and that OUR LORD
PRAISED ST NATHANAELS DILIGENCE AND CAREFUL
SEARCH FOR THE LONG AWAITED MESSIAH.
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST S FOREKNOWLEDGE AND DIVINE
INSIGHT INTO HEARTS AND SOULS DEEPLY AFFECTED ST
NATHANAEL WHO WAS COMPELLED TO CONFESS HIS
HEARTFELT FAITH IN CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR.
THE UNIQUE AND MOST HONOURABLE TITLE SON OF MAN
IS THE SPECIFIC TITLE OF GODS HOLY MESSIAH that
had a level of Divine Mystery in its meaning, thereby
indicating He was Someone OF HEAVENLY ORIGIN
WHO USHERED IN THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GOD.
(DANIEL 7:13-14)
In an Old Covenant Prophecy, ST JACOB HAD BEHELD A
VISION OF AN EXTRAORDINARY LADDER THAT
CONNECTED EARTH TO HEAVEN AND UPON WHICH THE
ANGELS OF GOD ASCENDED AND DESCENDED. (GENESIS 28:
12 15)
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THAT SAME DIVINE LADDER Who
unites us on earth to His Heavenly Kingdom and thus
is clearly THE TRUE SON OF MAN.
2 5
T H
S U N D A Y A F T E R P E N T E C O S T - S T A N D R E W Z E B E D E E F I R S T - C A L L E D - 3 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 31.
A R E WE S E E K I N G CH R I S T ? S T J OH N OF K R ON S T A D T
St Andrew the First Called Apostle of Christ, was originally
a Disciple of St John the Baptist, who prepared the
people of Israel to receive the Great Messiah, and when
our Lord Jesus Christ returned from the wilderness
(where He had spent the previous 40 days), the Holy
Forerunner proclaimed to the people: Behold! The
Lamb of God! (John 1:36)
Immediately St Andrew went to Christ and when our Lord
saw him together with St Johns other Disciples, He
asked them: What do you seek?
They responded: Master, where dost Thou dwell? And
Christ simply said: Come and see.
The Disciples saw where He lived and they spent the rest of
the day there with Him.
Soon afterwards, our Lord Jesus Christ Called St Andrew
and his brother, St (Simon) Peter to follow Him. He told
them that they were to become Fishers of men unto
the Salvation of many.
From that time forth, they remained with Christ and were
faithful to Him to the end, giving Him their very life out
of their Love for Him.
Dear Brothers and Sisters: on this day I would ask you the
same question that our Lord put to His Apostles:
What are you seeking?
Why did you come to Church today?
What are we all seeking in our life?
Are we seeking Christ, as He was first sought by those
humble Fishermen, among whom was St Andrew, His
First Called Apostle?
What everyone obviously seeks in this life is health, riches,
success, acquaintances, friends, prestige and various
worldly pleasures and vain knowledge...
Very few people seek Christ our Lord and Saviour.
Some people may even think it is strange to seek Christ.
We call ourselves Christians, we see His Holy Image in our
homes and in our churches, we pronounce His Sweetest
Name and hear it mentioned in Gods Holy Temple.
It appears that we have no need to seek for Christ after
all, people seek that which they do not have that
which they need but we seem to already have Christ.
It is true that we have Holy Icons of our Lord, but we do not
have Christ Himself.
We have His Divine Name, but only on our lips and not in
our heart.
We know our Saviour, but only in word and not in our
deeds.
Here, Dearly Beloved, is a huge difference.
It is the same huge difference as that of a shadow and the
object which casts the shadow.
It is, however, precisely with the heart that our Lord and
Saviour, Jesus Christ, is truly known i.e. in our inner
being in the depths of our soul because Christ our
God is Spirit ... Who is everywhere and Who fillest all
things...
The Kingdom of God is within you, said our Lord. (LUKE
17:21)
St Paul the Holy Apostle earnestly desired that through
Faith Christ would dwell in the heart of all Christians:
... May God grant you according to the Riches of His
Glory, to be Strengthened with Might by His Spirit in
the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your heart by
Faith... (EPHESIANS 3: 16 17)
We have to admit that most of us do not have Christ in our
heart.
Instead, our heart is occupied with that which is opposed to
Christ our God and Saviour that which is opposed to
our own good, which hinders the Salvation of our soul.
And because of this, we do not lead a genuine Christian Life
we do not Live in Christ.
What occupies our heart?
God alone, Who searches out our heart and reins sees
everything that is in our heart all its attachments.
If our Lord granted us to see the full depth of our heart, we
would turn our eyes away in horror from such an
overwhelming accumulation of filth!
Let each of us look into our own heart and confess before
the witness of our conscience what it is that truly
occupies our heart most of all.
Passions, sins voluntary and involuntary wickedness are
these not the constant inhabitants of our heart?
But where does Christ dwell?
Our Lord God dwells in pure hearts in hearts that are
humble and contrite, where He is not grieved by our
doubts or unbelief, by our indifference towards Him
Who is our God and our Saviour.
Christ dwells where the temporal sweetness of sin is
rejected and where idols of passion have been chased
out where crude materiality is rejected in preference
to the Eternal Kingdom of God.
Faithful Christians often turn their thoughts to Heavenly
Things, as those who are created for Heaven and for
Eternity.
There where they seek Gods Truth, where every day and
every hour they are attentative to His Commandments,
is where Christ dwells.
And what does He do there? If only we knew (of course,
some do know!) what He does in those souls who are
worthy of His Abiding Presence what Rest, Comfort
and Joy He imparts! What Paradisal Bliss He grants
them to experience even while still on Earth.
Having once embraced Christ, St Andrew the First Called
Apostle, became entirely committed to Him, and no
matter what difficulties, sorrows, misfortunes or
persecutions confronted him which is unavoidable
when preaching the Holy Gospel he remained ever
Faithful to Christ, enduring all trials and tribulations -
even his martyrdom by crucifixion compelled and
encouraged by his Love of our Lord and Saviour.
It is of utmost importance that we seek Christ and that we
find Him, for without Him, who will Save us from our
sins that ensnare us every moment of the day and hour.
Only Christ can Save us from Eternal Torments!
Only the Eternal, Only Begotten Son of God has Power
on Earth to forgive our sins.
Only our Lord Jesus Christ can Save us from Hell and
Eternal Death.
Only He has the Keys to His Kingdom of Heaven and
Eternal Life.
To find Christ our Lord and Saviour is not difficult.
He is everywhere and He fills the world with His Divine
Presence.
Through St Jeremiah, His Holy Prophet, God says: I Am a
God nigh (close) at hand... and not a God (Who is) afar
off. (Jeremiah 23:23)
As soon as God sees our heart is inclined to receive His
Divine Grace, He immediately enter, bringing with Him
His Divine Peace and Comfort.
I stand at the Door and knock; if anyone hears My
Voice, and opens the Door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with Me... (REVELATION 3:20)
Oh! How often He converses with His Faithful servants, as
though with True Friends.
Christ Himself is seeking us if we only incline our heart
towards Him, we will surely find Him!
But how are we to know if we have found our Saviour and
are close to Him?
Those who are close to Christ often turn to Him in Prayer
with Faith and Love.
They often pronounce from their heart His Sweetest Name.
They often call upon Him for Help.
They often read or listen to His Word with childlike
simplicity and Love.
They seek frequent Union with Him in His Life-giving Holy
Mysteries.
They are satisfied with whatever they have and accept
whatever happens to them.
They strive according to their strength to fulfil all Christs
Divine Commandments and Teachings.
They also experience trials, which are permitted by our
Loving Master, in order for their heart to be Cleansed of
every sinful impurity.
Those who desire to be with Christ must not run away from
their trials, but even in times of Joy, they must not
forsake the carrying of their Cross.
My dear Brothers and Sisters: seek Jesus Christ with Faith
and Love.
Do not forget that He gave His Life on the Cross for our
sake to Deliver us from sin and Eternal Torment, and
to dwell in our heart, so that we might have Great Joy.
Do not forget that we have all been bought at the cost of
His Most Precious Blood, and we belong to Him as our
Redeemer and Saviour.
Our days are numbered.
32. 2 5
T H
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Every stroke of the clock reminds us to seek Him Who
created time, while He Himself stands above the
measure of time.
He alone is able to pluck us out of the ravaging torrent of
time...
Every stroke of the clock tells us to be Watchful!
We now have one hour less until we must cross the
threshold into Life after death, which knows neither
days nor hours!
Do not be seduced by the momentary sweetness of sin,
which vanishes like a dream, leaving our soul empty,
ailing and anguished.
Sin steals our precious time and ruins it forever!
Do not wast time in useless occupations or idleness.
Every one of us has a God-given talent to put to good use.
We must busy ourselves in acquiring incorruptible Wealth
in Gods Kingdom of Heaven.
We must take the example of the thousands of souls who
have gone before us, having attained their Eternal Rest
and Joy through their ceaseless Labours in this
temporal life, through their sweat and tears.
We must make haste to uproot from ourselves all sin in its
various manifestation, through our ceaseless Prayers
for Help from Christ our Saviour.
We must always remember that WHATEVER WE SOW, WE SHALL
REAP, according to the immutable Law of Gods
Righteousness. (GALATIANS 6:7)
While there is still time, therefore, let us hasten to find
Christ and in Faith create for Him a worthy Abode in
our heart so that we may not fall prey to the Fires of
Gehenna: If a man abides not in Me, he is cast forth
as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them
and cast them into the Fire, and they are burnt! (JOHN
15:6)
Amen
HOMILY BY ST JOHN OF KRONSTADT TRANSLATED FROM DUSHEPOLEZNY
SOBESEDNIK MOUNT ATHOS NOVEMBER 1899
http://www.roca.org/OA/43/43b.htm
S T T H E O G N O S T O S
Nothing is better than pure Prayer.
From it, as from a spring, come the Virtues:
Understanding and Gentleness, Love and Self-
control, and the Support and Encouragement that
God grants in response to tears.
The Beauty of pure Prayer is made manifest when
our mind dwells in the Realm of Intelligible
Realities alone and our longing to attain what is
Divine is endless.
Then our intellect, tracking our Master through the
contemplation of created beings, and ardently
thirsting to find and see Him Who cannot be seen,
or else contemplating the darkness that is His
Secret Place - in awe - withdraws again into
ourselves - for the moment satisfied and
encouraged by the Vision revealed to us for our
own benefit.
But we are full of Hope that we will reach the object
of our desire when, set free from appearances
and the shadow-like fantasies seen indistinctly, as
in a mirror, we are granted a pure Unceasing
Vision face to Face (PSALM 18 : 11 & 1 CORINTHIANS 13:12)
A B B O T T R Y P H O N
There is freedom from stress, anxiety, and even
anger, when we place our trust in God, and in he
whom God has set over us as our Spiritual Guide.
The invading enemies to our Salvation have power
over us only when we depend on ourselves.
Without Humility, there can be no Victory over the
demons that would destroy the soul.
When we set ourselves up as our guide, we make
those whom God has charged with our Spiritual
Care, the enemy.
Comfort and Joy can only be part of our Life if we
surrender our self-will, and give ourselves fully
into the Loving Embrace of our God.
S T GR E G O R Y P A L A M A S
Do you not perceive the Grandeur of God's
Compassion? When we are disobedient He does
not immediately Condemn us, but He is
Longsuffering and allows us time for conversion.
Throughout this period of Longsuffering He gives us
Power to gain Divine Sonship if we so wish.
Yet why do I say 'gain sonship'? He gives us Power to
be United with Him and to become one spirit with
Him. (CF. 1 CORINTHIAN 6:17).
If, however, during this period of Longsuffering we
pursue the opposite path and choose Death
rather than True Life, God does not take away the
Power that He gave us.
And not only does He not take it away, but He
reminds us of it again and again.
From the dawn until the dusk of this life, He goes
around - as in the Parable of the Vineyard -
seeking us out and inviting us to engage in the
Works of Life. (CF. MATTHEW 20:7-15).
And Who is it that calls us in this way and would
engage us in His Service? It is the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ - the God of all Solace. (CF. 2
CORINTHIANS 1:3).
And Who is the Vineyard into which He Calls us to
work? The Son of God, Who said: 'I Am the
Vine... (CF. JOHN 15:1)
For, indeed, no one can come to Christ - as He
Himself said in the Gospels - unless the Father
draws us. (CF. JOHN 6:44).
Who are the Branches? We ourselves are.
For directly afterwards Christ says: '...you are the
Branches - My Father is the Vine-dresser...' (CF.
JOHN 15:1 & 5)

S T J O H N O F K R O N S T A D T
Am I not everything to you, My worm, adorned with Mine
image? To what, then, do you cleave? In what else do
you trust? Do not leave Me - the Source of Living
Water (of Life).I Am the Very Life.
Our Lifethe Lordis single. If He is in the heart, it is
enough. He alone supports our life. Therefore it is said:
" Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word
that proceeds out of the Mouth of God."
S T P H I L O T H E O S O F S I N A I
If, with the Lord's Help, we Cleanse our heart and
uproot sin - Struggling for the Knowledge that is
more Divine and seeing in our intellect things
invisible to most people - we must not on this
account be arrogant towards anyone.
For an Angel, being incorporeal, is more Pure and
full of Spiritual Knowledge than any other created
thing; yet it was an angel who, in exalting himself,
fell like lightning from Heaven.
Thus his pride was reckoned by God as impurity.
But those who dig up gold are known to all.
S T MA X I M O S T H E CO N F E S S O R
Ages, times and places belong to the category of
relationship, and consequently no object
necessarily associated with these things can be
other than relative.
But God Transcends the category of Relationship; for
nothing else whatsoever is necessarily associated
with Him.
Therefore if the Inheritance of the Saints is God
Himself, those who are found worthy of this
Grace will be beyond all ages, times and places:
they will have God Himself as their Place, in
accordance with the text: Be to me a God Who is
a Defender and a Fortified Place of my
Salvation (PSALM 71:3. LXX).

2014-November Sacred Lessons

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2014-November Sacred Lessons

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S T K O S M A S & S T D A M I A N O S - U N M E R C E N A R Y P H Y S I C I A N S - A S I A M I N O R 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4

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