The prologue from Ohrid: March 24
1. SAINT ARTEMON BISHOP OF SELEUCIA
Artemon was born and educated in Seleucia. When the Apostle Paul came to that
city, he met Artemon, strengthened him even more in the Faith of Christ and
appointed him bishop of that city. Artemon governed his entrusted flock with
love and zeal. He was a physician of the souls as well as the bodies of men. He
entered into eternity in ripe old age.
2. VENERABLE JAMES, THE CONFESSOR
James suffered while defending icons under Leo the Armenian. He was a monk
and a member of the brotherhood of the Studite Monastery. When the Studite
Theodore the Great was in exile, James was subjected to severe tortures in order
to persuade him to renounce the veneration of icons. To the end he remained
steadfast and faithful to Orthodoxy. Beaten and tortured, he was finally sent
back to the monastery after the wicked Emperor Leo came to a wretched end. As a
result of severe blows, he died in the monastery and took up habitation among
the heavenly citizens.
3. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR PARTHENIUS, PATRIARCH OF
CONSTANTINOPLE
Parthenius was born on the Island of Mytilene. He was the bishop of Chios for
a long time. Afterwards he was elected patriarch of Constantinople. Because of
false rumors that he allegedly worked against the State, the Turks initially
proposed that he become a Muslim. When he adamantly refused, they hanged him in
the year 1657 A.D.
4. THE COMMEMORATION OF THE MIRACLE IN THE MONASTERY
OF THE CAVES IN KIEV
Two companions, John and Sergius, vowed to adopt each other as blood brothers
before an icon of the Holy Mother of God in this monastery. John was a wealthy
man, and he had a five year old son Zacharias. John became very ill. Before his
death, John commended his son to the care of Sergius and bequeathed a large
amount of gold and silver to him for safe keeping so that Sergius would hand it
over to his son Zacharias when he reached maturity. When Zacharias reached
maturity, Sergius denied that he received anything from the deceased John. Then
Zacharias said, "Let him swear before that very icon of the All-Holy Mother of
God, before whom he entered into a blood-brother relationship with my deceased
father; and if he swears that he did not receive anything from my father John,
then I will not seek anything from him." Sergius agreed. When Sergius swore
this, he wanted to approach and venerate the icon, but a force held him back and
would not allow it. Sergius then began to cry out in a crazed manner to the Holy
Fathers, Anthony and Theodosius; "Do not allow this unmerciful angel to destroy
me!" That was the demon that attacked him by God's permission. After that,
Sergius showed them all the money that John entrusted to him. When they opened
the chest, they discovered that the amount had doubled. This amount was doubled
by God's Providence. After receiving the money, Zacharias gave it to the
monastery and was then tonsured a monk. Zacharias lived for a long time and was
made worthy of the great gifts of God and was translated peacefully into
eternity.
5. THE VENERABLE ZACHARIAS
Zacharias was the son of Carion the Egyptian. Zacharias left his wife and
children and became a monk. He took his father with him because his mother was
unable to care for him. Even though Zacharias was younger than most of the
elders in the Scete, he was favored with greater gifts of Grace than many of the
others were. He felt that his whole being was on fire with the Grace of God. To
the question of St. Macarius: "Who is the ideal monk?" Zacharias replied, "He
who continually compels himself to fulfill the commandments of God." To the
question of Abba Moses: "What does it mean to be a monk?" Zacharias removed his
monastic head gear [Kamilavka] and trampled it underfoot and said, "If a
man is not shattered as this, he cannot be a monk." He was a great light among
the monks of the wilderness and while still young died to the Lord.
HYMN OF PRAISE
VANITY
What is the worth of man, O Lord, You said,
That the whole vast world as his property, he acquires,
When, either today or tomorrow, he must die,
And the accumulated wealth outlive him will.
What worth is it that upon his head, a crown he sets,
When behind him, he must leave it?
To him, what good is gold and a pile of silver,
When through his withered ribs, grass grows?
What good is silk, pearls and food,
When, upon him alive, the sun does not gaze?
Of what help is the world, if he loses his soul.
Without the soul, the body is lowered into the grave.
His body and soul, both have died,
And to its grave, each of them hurries.
Two lifeless ones, then men, do bury,
For neither of them, do men bitterly mourn.
Anyone who has a mind, over his soul, let him guard,
You gave to all a reminder clear:
The soul is the only thing that can be saved,
All else in the world, and even the world itself will perish.
When we know Your counsel, O dear Lord,
Still, Your power and help we need.
Help our sinful soul, O Good One,
That the smoke of vanity suffocate it not.
REFLECTION
Abba Daniel and Abba Ammoe were traveling. Abba Ammoe said, "Father, when
will we arrive at the cell?" (that is, so that they could to pray to God). Abba
Daniel replied, "And who is taking God away from us now?" The same God is in the
cell and outside the cell.. By this we are taught uninterruptedness of prayer,
thoughts about God, and contemplation of God's works in us and around us. The
Church facilitates prayer and intensifies it. So it is the same with solitude
and confinement; each in its own way facilitates and intensifies it. He who does
not want to pray will not be bound either by a church or a cell. Neither will he
who has felt the pleasure of prayer be able to separate his nature or journeying
from prayer.
CONTEMPLATION
To contemplate the Lord Jesus on the cross crucified:
1. Counting the drops of His All-Holy Blood and counting my sins;
2. Counting His painful sighs and counting the stupid days of my
laughter.
HOMILY
About faithfulness in suffering and the crown of
life
"Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Remain
faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life"
(Revelation 2:10).
By His suffering our Lord eased our suffering. He endured the greatest of
pain and emerged as the Victor. That is why He can encourage us in our lesser
sufferings. He suffered and endured in righteousness while we suffer and endure
in expiating our own sins. This is why He can doubly remind us to endure to the
end as He, the Sinless One, endured. Not one of us has helped nor alleviated His
pains and endurance, yet He stands along side each one of us when we suffer and
alleviates our pains and misfortunes. That is why He has the right to tell each
one who suffers for His Name's sake: "Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid of
anything that you are going to suffer," says Christ, for I alone have
endured all suffering and am familiar with them. I was not frightened at not a
single suffering. I received them upon Myself and, in the end, overcame them
all. I did not overcome them by dismissing them or fleeing from them but
receiving them all upon Myself voluntarily and enduring them all to the end. And
so you also should accept voluntary suffering, for I see and know how much and
for how long you can endure.
If your suffering should continue to death itself and if it is the cause of
your death, nevertheless, do not be afraid; "I will give you the crown of
life." I will crown you with immortal life in which I reign eternally with
the Father and the Life-Giving Spirit. God did not send you to earth to live
comfortably, rather to prepare for eternal life. It would be a great tragedy if
your Creator were unable to give you a better, longer, and brighter life than
that which is on earth which reeks of decay and death and is shorter than the
life of a raven.
O my brethren, let us listen to the words of the Lord and all of our
sufferings will be alleviated. If the blows of the world seem as hard as stones,
they will become as the foam of the sea when we obey the Lord.
O Victorious Lord, teach us more about Your long-suffering; and when we
become exhausted, extend Your hand and sustain us.
To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.