May God give you strength to stand steadfast with joy amidst these worldly trials! May He bless you, and bless your children.
—Bishop Irenei (Steenberg)
—Bishop Irenei (Steenberg)
The Holy and Glorious Prophet Joel (Oct 19/ Nov 1) declared “the day of The Lord draws near” (Joel 1:15)
He calls for the people to turn back to God with all their hearts because He is merciful and compassionate. Repentance will save the Lord’s people from captivity.
The Holy Prophet also foretold the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28, and quoted by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:17), and the saving power of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Joel 2:32).
Joel also prophesied and described the Dread Judgment of God, and also prophesied the glory of God's Holy Church.
“Enlightened by the Spirit, your pure heart became the dwelling place of most splendid prophecy; for you saw things far off as if they were near. Therefore, we honor you, blessed and glorious Prophet Joel.” —Kontakion, Tone 4
He calls for the people to turn back to God with all their hearts because He is merciful and compassionate. Repentance will save the Lord’s people from captivity.
The Holy Prophet also foretold the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28, and quoted by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:17), and the saving power of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Joel 2:32).
Joel also prophesied and described the Dread Judgment of God, and also prophesied the glory of God's Holy Church.
“Enlightened by the Spirit, your pure heart became the dwelling place of most splendid prophecy; for you saw things far off as if they were near. Therefore, we honor you, blessed and glorious Prophet Joel.” —Kontakion, Tone 4
The Apostle James, Brother of the Lord (Oct 23/ Nov 5) was holy from his mother's womb to his last breath at his violent martyrdom.
“For his God-pleasing life he was chosen first bishop in the Church at Jerusalem. Saint James presided over the Council of the Apostles at Jerusalem, and his word was decisive (Acts 15). In his thirty years as bishop the Apostle James converted many of the Jews to Christianity. Annoyed by this, the Pharisees and the Scribes plotted together to kill Saint James. Having led the saint up on the roof of the Jerusalem Temple, they demanded that he renounce the Saviour of the world. But the holy Apostle James instead began to bear witness, that Christ is the True Messiah. Then the Jewish teachers shoved him off downwards. The saint did not die immediately, but gathering his final strength, he prayed to the Lord for his enemies, who at this while were stoning him.”
—Synaxarion
“For his God-pleasing life he was chosen first bishop in the Church at Jerusalem. Saint James presided over the Council of the Apostles at Jerusalem, and his word was decisive (Acts 15). In his thirty years as bishop the Apostle James converted many of the Jews to Christianity. Annoyed by this, the Pharisees and the Scribes plotted together to kill Saint James. Having led the saint up on the roof of the Jerusalem Temple, they demanded that he renounce the Saviour of the world. But the holy Apostle James instead began to bear witness, that Christ is the True Messiah. Then the Jewish teachers shoved him off downwards. The saint did not die immediately, but gathering his final strength, he prayed to the Lord for his enemies, who at this while were stoning him.”
—Synaxarion
For his teaching zeal, the Holy and Glorious Greatmartyr Demetrius the Myrrh-gusher of Thessalonica (Oct 26/ Nov 8), became for Thessalonika "a second Apostle Paul" in the same city where St Paul founded the first community of believers (1 Thes., 2 Thes.).
In the early 4th century, emperor Galerius Maximian gave orders to "put to death anyone who calls on the name of the Crucified." Demetrius, proconsul of Thessalonika, disobeyed. Instead of executing Christians, Demetrius instead openly confessed and taught the Christian faith.
His relics were once thought to be lost, but later appeared in Thessaloniki, and determined to be genuine after they started emitting a liquid and strong scented myrrh. This gave St Demetrius the epithet Μυροβλήτης, or "Myrrh-streamer."
Holy great Martyr Demetrius, invoke Christ God for us, that He may grant us His great mercy.
In the early 4th century, emperor Galerius Maximian gave orders to "put to death anyone who calls on the name of the Crucified." Demetrius, proconsul of Thessalonika, disobeyed. Instead of executing Christians, Demetrius instead openly confessed and taught the Christian faith.
His relics were once thought to be lost, but later appeared in Thessaloniki, and determined to be genuine after they started emitting a liquid and strong scented myrrh. This gave St Demetrius the epithet Μυροβλήτης, or "Myrrh-streamer."
Holy great Martyr Demetrius, invoke Christ God for us, that He may grant us His great mercy.
“The Lord sometimes allows people who are devoted to Him to fall into such dreadful vices; and this is in order to prevent them from falling into a still greater sin-- pride.
Your temptation will pass and you will spend the remaining days of your life in humility. Only do not forget your sin.”
☦️ St Seraphim of Sarov
Your temptation will pass and you will spend the remaining days of your life in humility. Only do not forget your sin.”
☦️ St Seraphim of Sarov
"The martyrs made their good confession during the first years of Christianity. There were numerous miracles taking place at the time. Christians would perform miracles with ease. Holiness was widespread. Virtue was cultivated abundantly. Today, conversely, we have no virtue. Nowadays, we make minimal effort, and the virtue we attain is trivial. Darkness, deception, and destruction are present everywhere. Sin and darkness prevail in all levels of human society. This darkness of unbelief and immorality will continue to escalate, multiply, and worsen as we proceed toward the close of this age. Thus, even the slightest virtue, even a slight amount of spiritual struggle will have immense value in the eyes of God."
—Geronda Ephraim of Arizona (1928-2019)
—Geronda Ephraim of Arizona (1928-2019)
☦️ Prayer of St Dimitrii of Rostov (Oct 28/ Nov 10)
Open, O doors and bolts of my heart, that Christ the King of Glory may enter!
Enter, O my Light, and enlighten my darkness; enter, O my Life, and resurrect my deadness;
enter, O my Physician, and heal my wounds;
enter, O Divine Fire, and burn up the thorns of my sins; ignite my inward parts and my heart with the flame of Thy love; enter, O my King, and destroy in me the kingdom of sin; sit on the throne of my heart and reign in me alone, O Thou, my King and Lord.
Open, O doors and bolts of my heart, that Christ the King of Glory may enter!
Enter, O my Light, and enlighten my darkness; enter, O my Life, and resurrect my deadness;
enter, O my Physician, and heal my wounds;
enter, O Divine Fire, and burn up the thorns of my sins; ignite my inward parts and my heart with the flame of Thy love; enter, O my King, and destroy in me the kingdom of sin; sit on the throne of my heart and reign in me alone, O Thou, my King and Lord.
“My Bridegroom, my riches, my life and my happiness is my Lord Jesus Christ, and with the threat of torments thou canst not part me from the Lord!"
☦️ The Monastic Martyress Anastasia the Roman (Oct 29/ Nov 11)
The torments St Anastasia was threatened with would quickly prove to be real. After this declaration of faith in Christ, Anastasia’s tongue was cut out. This so angered the crowd that her torture was cut short and she was beheaded.
By the supplications of the Martyress Anastasia, O Lord, save Thou our souls, for Thou art merciful.
☦️ The Monastic Martyress Anastasia the Roman (Oct 29/ Nov 11)
The torments St Anastasia was threatened with would quickly prove to be real. After this declaration of faith in Christ, Anastasia’s tongue was cut out. This so angered the crowd that her torture was cut short and she was beheaded.
By the supplications of the Martyress Anastasia, O Lord, save Thou our souls, for Thou art merciful.
"We must try to purify ourselves both externally and internally, especially our mind— because all the evil that takes place in our heart and with our body originates from the mind. Evil is externalized through the bodily members once the mind and intellect have succumbed to sin. Bees do not land on flowers lacking nectar. Rather, they fly to flora containing nectar, which they convert into sweet honey. Similarly, the Holy Spirit races around the earth in search of a pure mind and serene intellect, where He comes to rest and bears fruit. Therefore, in order for us to receive the Holy Spirit, Who will strengthen us and render us worthy of confessing the Divinity of our Christ, we must first struggle to purify ourselves spiritually and physically, and then be crowned."
☦️ Geronda Ephraim of Arizona (1928-2019), “Art of Salvation”
☦️ Geronda Ephraim of Arizona (1928-2019), “Art of Salvation”
In 2011, the discovery of the tomb of the Holy, All-Praised Apostle Philip (Nov 14/27) left archaeologists breathless. The heavy wear of the marble of steps to the tomb, discovered with the help of satellite technology, indicates that the tomb received an extraordinary amount of veneration.
The holy apostle was crucified upside-down by the superstitious pagans of Hierapolis (in present-day Turkey) in about 80 AD but his relics were not contained at the discovery site. They were initially brought to Constantinople and in the sixth century taken to Rome and buried, next to the Apostle James, in the Church of Sts. James and Philip.
A portion of St Philip’s skull was taken to the village of Arsos, in Paphos, following the fall of Constantinople to the Crusaders in 1204. The skull was transferred to Cyprus that year. The skull is now kept in a silver reliquary at the ancient Monastery of the Holy Cross in Omodos, and is the source of many miracles.
The holy apostle was crucified upside-down by the superstitious pagans of Hierapolis (in present-day Turkey) in about 80 AD but his relics were not contained at the discovery site. They were initially brought to Constantinople and in the sixth century taken to Rome and buried, next to the Apostle James, in the Church of Sts. James and Philip.
A portion of St Philip’s skull was taken to the village of Arsos, in Paphos, following the fall of Constantinople to the Crusaders in 1204. The skull was transferred to Cyprus that year. The skull is now kept in a silver reliquary at the ancient Monastery of the Holy Cross in Omodos, and is the source of many miracles.
From pain to dancing: a modern miracle of Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia (Nov 1/ Nov 13) The following miracle happened to one of the well-known present-day Greek elders, Father Ambrose Lazaris (1912-2006) in 1937, when he pursued asceticism in the Koutloumousiou Monastery on Mount Athos under the name of Chariton (as a Ryassophore monk). On a hot August day, Monk Chariton decided to go to the monastery garden to collect figs but he did it without the abbot’s blessing. He climbed a fig tree and started picking figs. The tree branch broke down, the monk fell to the ground and hit the ground so hard that his leg broke in half. Father Chariton cried out in terrible pain. Monks fled to the garden and carried their brother to the monastery hospital, where there was a small church in the name of Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian.
Because Athos was occupied by the Nazis in those years, there was devastation everywhere; there were no doctors in the monastery hospital, so Chariton’s situation was hopeless. Where you can’t rely on people, the Heavenly Hosts rush to help. Remembering that terrible night when he was lying in pain, the elder said: “So what happened at 12:00 in the morning? I saw St. Cosmas and St. Damian come down from the dome in person and approach me. The room was flooded with light.”
“Poor guy, how did he break his leg so badly?” St. Damian said. Saint Cosmas came up to my head and told St. Damian: “Go to the leg, take it and pull it out!” St. Damian stepped up to the leg and pulled it out. It was so painful that I cannot describe it!“ “We are here to help you. Do not be afraid, everything will be all right,” St. Cosmas said. “So what happened? When he pulled out the leg, it merged together! Bones, muscles, everything else: they were not visible anymore! After that, the pain disappeared. I immediately jumped up, started dancing and singing, unaware of what I was doing. Other monks woke up.””Monk Chariton must have gone mad from pain, he sings at such a late hour…”
The monks ran to the hospital. “Why did you get up? Sit down so you don’t break your other leg!” “Look!” I said. We had the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries in front of us. “The two who sit on their thrones came here an hour ago. One of them stood at my head and the other at my feet. They pulled out my leg, put it back in place, and now I can walk again!” “The monks did not fall asleep that night, and celebrated the Divine Liturgy the next morning. I also went to it. They celebrated the Divine Liturgy three days in a row.” Translated by The Catalogue of Good Deeds
“Poor guy, how did he break his leg so badly?” St. Damian said. Saint Cosmas came up to my head and told St. Damian: “Go to the leg, take it and pull it out!” St. Damian stepped up to the leg and pulled it out. It was so painful that I cannot describe it!“ “We are here to help you. Do not be afraid, everything will be all right,” St. Cosmas said. “So what happened? When he pulled out the leg, it merged together! Bones, muscles, everything else: they were not visible anymore! After that, the pain disappeared. I immediately jumped up, started dancing and singing, unaware of what I was doing. Other monks woke up.””Monk Chariton must have gone mad from pain, he sings at such a late hour…”
The monks ran to the hospital. “Why did you get up? Sit down so you don’t break your other leg!” “Look!” I said. We had the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries in front of us. “The two who sit on their thrones came here an hour ago. One of them stood at my head and the other at my feet. They pulled out my leg, put it back in place, and now I can walk again!” “The monks did not fall asleep that night, and celebrated the Divine Liturgy the next morning. I also went to it. They celebrated the Divine Liturgy three days in a row.” Translated by The Catalogue of Good Deeds