1. THE FINDING OF THE HEAD OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

The great and glorious Baptist John was beheaded according to the wish and instigation of the wicked Herodias, the wife of Herod. When John was beheaded, Herodias ordered that his head not be buried with his body for she feared that this awesome prophet, somehow, would resurrect. Therefore, she took his head and buried it deep in the ground in a secluded and dishonorable place. Her maidservant was Johanna, the wife of Chuza a courtier of Herod. The good and devout Johanna could not tolerate that the head of the Man of God remain in this dishonorable place. Secretly she unearthed it, removed it to Jerusalem and buried it on the Mount of Olives. Not knowing of this, King Herod, when he learned of Jesus and how He worked great miracles, became frightened and said: “This is John whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead” (St. Mark 16:16). After a considerable period of time, an eminent landowner believed in Christ, left his position and the vanity of the world and became a monk, taking the name, Innocent. As a monk, he took up abode on the Mount of Olives exactly in the place where the head of the Baptist was buried. Wanting to build himself a cell for himself, he dug deep and discovered an earthen vessel and in it a head, which was mysteriously revealed to him, to be the head of the Baptizer. He reverenced it and reburied it in the same spot. Later, according to God’s Providence, this miracle-working relic [The head of St. John] traveled from place to place, sunk into the darkness of forgetfulness and again was rediscovered. Finally, during the reign of the pious Empress Theodora, the mother of Michael and the wife of Theophilus and at the time of Patriarch Ignatius it was translated to Constantinople. Many miraculous healings occurred from the relic of the Forerunner [Precursor]. It is important and interesting to note that while he was still alive, “John did no miracles” (St. John 10:41), however, his relics have been endowed with miraculous power.

2. THE VENERABLE ERASMUS

Erasmus was a monk in the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev. He inherited great wealth from his parents and spent all on adoring churches, especially on silver-plating and gilding icons. When he had become impoverished and remained without anything, he was despised by all. The devil whispered to him that he squandered his estate in vain; instead of distributing his wealth among the poor, he gave it for the adornment of churches. Erasmus succumbed to this temptation and believed it for which he despised himself and fell into a state of despair and began to live aimlessly and lawlessly. When the hour of his death approached the brethren assembled around him and discussed his sins which he himself was not conscious of. All at once, he straightened up in bed and said: “Fathers and brothers, it is as you say; I am sinful and unrepentant, but behold St. Anthony and St. Theodosius appeared to me and after that, the All-Holy Mother of God told me that the Lord gave me more time for repentance.” The Mother of God also spoke these encouraging words to him: “The poor you have with you in every place and my churches you do not.” Erasmus lived for three more days, repented and fell asleep in the Lord. This teaches us that zeal for the Church and adornment of the churches is a task pleasing to God. St. Erasmus died in the year 1160 A.D.

HYMN PF PRAISE

SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

To John, let us pray,

The Baptizer, glorious

Of the Savior, the trumpet,

Of the Creator, the servant,

By God, sent,

To help us

How he can.

To John, let us pray,

Awesome and holy,

Through him, so that,

God the Most High, would help us.

Help us O John

Wherever danger threatens!

The Faith to be preserved

O John, help us,

And for us to be bread

In all days and to the end,

That in every sheaf, we may see,

In every sheaf, the footstep of God!

When night falls, let it dawn

O John, help us,

Sinners, that we may repent,

Before the end, we reach

Before the Day of Judgment dawns

O John, help us(*)

REFLECTION

They are neither our good teachers nor our good friends who do everything for us according to our will. Venerable John Moschus writes about a prominent woman of a senatorial family who visited the Holy Land. Arriving in Caesarea, she decided to remain there and turned to the bishop with this request: “Give me a maiden to teach me the fear of God.” The bishop introduced her to a humble virgin. After a period of time, the bishop met that woman and asked her: “How is the virgin to whom I introduced you?” “She is good,” replied the woman, “but she is of little benefit to my soul because she is humble allows me to do my own will. For me it is required that she reproach me and not allow me to do whatever I want.” The bishop then gave her another girl, of a very coarse character, who began to rebuke the woman, calling her a senseless rich woman and the like. After sometime, the bishop again asked the woman: “And that maiden, how does she conduct herself with you?” “She truly benefits my soul,” replied the senator’s wife. And so she became very meek. (Excerpt from the Spiritual Meadow by John Moschus)

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord Jesus as a stumbling block:

1. For sinful self-conceit (vanity) i.e., for the perverted mind of mankind which thinks sensually and fleshy and opposes the mind of Christ;

2. For sinful self-love i.e., for the perverted heart of man which does not accept in itself neither the love of God nor the love of man;

3. For sinful self-will i.e., for the perverted will of man, which, as such, opposes the will of God.

HOMILY

About repentance and the forgiveness of sins

“And that repentance andremission of sins should be preached in His Name“(St. Luke 24:47).

This is the final instruction of the Savior to the holy apostles. In these words as in the shell of a walnut, is contained the gospel of reconciliation between God and men. What does God seek from men and what does God give them? He seeks repentance and He grants forgiveness of sins. He seeks little but He gives all. Let men only repent for committed sins and let men cease to sin and men will receive all from God; all; not only all that their hearts could desire rather even more, much more. In truth, to the righteous everything is promised. The righteous will be the inheritors of the Kingdom of God, they will be the sons of God, and they will be the children of light, the children of immorality, companions to the angels, brothers of Christ. The righteous will have an abundant life, an abundance of peace, an abundance of wisdom, an abundance of power and an abundance of joy. The righteous will have all, for all has been promised to them.

Let men only repent and they will receive all. Let the beggar only cleanse himself, bathe himself and clothe himself in purity before the doors of the royal court and he will be immediately ushered into the royal court and he will be met and embraced by the king and he will have all. He will live with the king, sit at the royal table; he will have all, all, all!

O my brethren, these are not only words rather this is the living and holy truth. For we know that many penitents, both female and male, received all of this, which was promised. Many have appeared from the other world and have proved the truth of these words, witnessing how they now live as royal sons and daughters. But they repented promptly; and there remains time for us to repent if we desire to be together with them as the heirs of the kingdom.

O Merciful Lord, help us that we may repent before death in order that we may live eternally.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

(*) Traditional Serbian toast honoring St. John the Baptist.

1. THE HOLY PRIESTLY-MARTYR POLYCARP, BISHOP OF SMYRNA

Polycarp, this great apostolic man, was born a pagan. St. John the Theologian converted him to the Faith of Christ and baptized him. In his childhood, Polycarp became an orphan and according to a vision in a dream Callista, a noble widow, took him as her own son, raised and educated him. From his childhood Polycarp was devout and compassionate. He strove to emulate the life of St. Bucolus, then the Bishop of Smyrna, as well as the holy Apostles John and Paul, whom he knew and heard. St. Bucolus ordained him a presbyter and before his death, Bucolus designated him as his successor in Smyrna. The apostolic bishops, who gathered at the funeral of Bucolus, consecrated Polycarp as bishop. From the very beginning, Polycarp was gifted with the power of working miracles. He expelled an evil spirit from the servant of a prince and through prayer stopped a terrible fire in Smyrna. Upon seeing this, many pagans regarded Polycarp as one of the gods. He brought down rain in times of drought, healed illnesses, discerned, prophesized and so forth. He suffered during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Three days before his death, St. Polycarp prophesized: “In three days, I will be burned in fire for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ!” And on the third day when the soldiers arrested him and brought him to trial, he cried out: “Let this be the will of the Lord my God.” When the judge counseled him to deny Christ and to acknowledge the Roman gods, Polycarp said: “I cannot exchange the better for the worse!” The Jews especially hated Polycarp and endeavored to have Polycarp burned alive. When they placed him bound at the stake, he prayed to God for a long while. He was very old, grey and radiant as an angel. The people witnessed how the flame encircled him but did not touch him. Frightened by such a phenomenon, the pagan judges ordered the executioner to pierce him with a lance through the fire. When he was pierced, so much blood flowed from him that the entire fire was extinguished, and his body remained whole and unburned. At the persuasion of the Jews, the judge ordered Polycarp’s lifeless body be incinerated according to the custom of the Hellenes. So the evil ones burned the dead body of the lifeless one whom they could not burn while alive. St. Polycarp suffered on Great and Holy Saturday in the year 167 A.D.

2. THE VENERABLE DAMIAN

Damian, a monk of the Monastery of Esphigmenou on Mt. Athos, was a contemporary and companion of the great Cosmos of Zographou. He lived a life of asceticism on Mount Samareia between Esphigmenou and Hilendar. He died peacefully in the year 1280 A.D. When he died, a pleasant and sweet-smelling aroma emitted from his body for forty days.

HYMN PF PRAISE

SAINT POLYCARP

His holy ones, God preserves

That until their appointed time, they do not perish,

Until they complete their task, they perish not.

The Elder Polycarp and saint of God

With his deacon, journeyed,

In a road inn, spent the night.

The Elder prays while the deacon sleeps.

Until an angel of God appeared to the Elder

And commanded that they immediately arise,

And from this road inn to depart,

For the inn is soon to be destroyed.

The young deacon, the Elder awakes,

But the deacon fatigued, slept on.

In that, the angel appeared again,

And again, the same warning gave,

Again, the Elder, his deacon awakes,

But, a heavy sleep, the deacon, overpowered

One moment he awakes, the next moment he is drowned in sleep.

And a third time, the angel appeared,

And a warning he issues for the third time.

That this was not a deceit, the Elder perceived,

But a warning from God, verily.

The saint jumped and the deacon he lifted,

And from the road inn, walked out.

And as soon as they walked out from the inn,

To the foundation, the entire house was destroyed,

All who were in it perished

Because of certain kinds of secret transgressions.

With fright, the young deacon was filled,

But in prayer, the saint was silent.

To the Most High God, they offered thanks,

They continued their way, under the stars.

REFLECTION

St. Polycarp writes the following to the Philippians about a priest Valentine who fell into the sin of avarice and secretly hid money belonging to the church: “I was deeply saddened because of Valentine who, at one time, was a presbyter among us, who had forgotten the rank [the priesthood] bestowed upon him. That is why I beg you, beware of greed and remain pure and just. Restrain yourself from every vice. He who cannot restrain himself, how will he be able to teach others restraint. He who submits to avarice pollutes himself with idolatry and numbers himself among the ranks of pagans. Who is not aware of God’s judgement? As Paul teaches: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2). In other words, I have not noticed anything similar among you neither have I heard anything among you; among those whom Blessed Paul lived a life of asceticism and about whom he speaks with praise at the beginning of his Epistle to the Philippians. He boasts of you throughout the churches, which, at that time, knew God, and we did not yet know him, i.e., Polycarp and the inhabitants of Smyrna. Brethren, that is why I am very saddened because of Valentine and his wife. May God grant them true repentance. “And you, be prudent in that and `not count him as an enemy‘ (2 Thessalonians 3:15), but endeavor to correct them as suffering and prodigal members, that your entire body be sound. Acting thusly, you build yourselves up.” Thus, the saints dealt with sinners: cautiously and compassionately; cautiously to prevent others from a similar sin and compassionately in order to correct and save sinners.

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord Jesus in conversation with the woman of Samaria

(St. John, Chapter 4):

1. How at first, the mind of the woman was smothered completely by carnal sophistry;

2. How the meek Lord gradually leads her mind toward a loftier and spiritual reasoning;

3. How this encounter culminated in the conversion of many to Christ;

4. How the scattered seeds of the Lord, at first, seemingly decays in the physical mind, and how later it resurrects, grows, ripens and brings forth much spiritual fruit.

HOMILY

About the works of Christ

“For the works which theFather has given Me to finish -the very works that I do, bearwitness of Me, that the Fatherhas sent Me” (St. John 5:36).

Brethren, what are those works of Christ? Those are the works of the Householder Who had returned from a journey and found the home robbed and desolate. Those are the works of the Physician Who entered into the most contaminated hospital and brought medicines and began to heal. Furthermore, those are the works of the King Who returned to his country and found it divided and ruined and his subjects as slaves in a strange land. Those are the works of the elder Brother who journeyed to a distant land to seek his younger brothers who, wandering and prodigal impoverished and became wild. Those are also the works of the Healer, Shepherd, Hero and Provider. Truly, these are not minor works! The average man with the greatest worldly knowledge, skill and courage would not be able to accomplish even in three-thousand years; those works which Christ completed in three years. Not only one man, but all men of all times, together, would not be able to complete the works of Christ for all eternity.

How did the Lord complete so many works? He completed them with the aid of five main miracles: Humility, Words, Deed, Blood and Resurrection.

What do the works of Christ witness? First, the works witness that the earth did not send Him, but Heaven; Second, that an angel did not send Him, but the Heavenly Father Himself; Third, that, for such works no one is sufficient except Him Who is as great as God, Who is as wise as God, as almighty as is God, as merciful as God; Yes, Who Himself is equal to God.

O, how all of our works are insignificant compared to the works of Christ! With only one kernel of Christ’s goodness and zeal, diligence and truthfulness can we complete our work perfectly. Grant us that kernel, O Lord Jesus, for we cannot either find this kernel on earth nor deserve it.

1. THE HOLY MARTYR MAURICE AND THE SEVENTY SOLDIERS WITH HIM

During the reign of Emperor Maximian there was a great persecution of Christians. In the Syrian town of Apamsea, Maurice was superior of the local army. The pagans reported him to the emperor as being a Christian and a sower of the Christian Faith among the soldiers. The emperor himself came and conducted an investigation. Along with Maurice seventy Christian soldiers were also brought before the emperor among whom was Photinus, the son of Maurice. Neither the emperor’s flattery nor threats could sway these heroes. To the threats of the emperor, they replied: “O Emperor, there is no fear in the sound and powerful souls of those who love the Lord!” When the emperor ordered and removed their military belts and garments, they said to him: “Our God will clothe us with incorruptible garments and belts and eternal glory!” When the emperor rebuked them because they despised the military honor given to them by him, they replied: “Your honor is without honor, for you have forgotten God Who gave you imperial authority!” Then the emperor commanded and the executioner beheaded Maurice’s son Photinus before his eyes to instill fear in the father and in the others. But, Maurice said: “You have fulfilled our wish O torturer and have sent Photinus, the soldier of Christ before us.” Then the emperor sentenced them to a most inhuman death: they were brought to a muddy place, stripped, bound to trees and rubbed them with honey, in order to be bitten by mosquitoes, wasps and hornets. After ten days under the most painful sufferings, they gave up their souls to God and departed to rejoice eternally with the holy angels in heaven. Christians secretly removed their bodies and honorably buried them. These courageous soldiers of Christ suffered about the year 305 A.D.

2. THE MANY MARTYRS IN EUGENIUS NEAR CONSTANTINOPLE

During the reign of Emperor Arcadius, the relics of many martyrs of Christ were unearthed, among whom was the Apostle Andronicus and his female assistant Junia. “Great Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the apostles and they were in Christ before me.”(Romans 16:7). These relics were discovered according to a revelation from God to a cleric Nicholas Calligraphus. “Their names are known only to God Who has written their names in the Book of Life in the heavens.” In the twelfth century, Emperor Andronicus II built a beautiful church over the relics of the Apostle Andronicus.

3. THE VENERABLES THALASSIUS AND LIMNAEUS

Both Thalassius and Limnaeus were Syrian ascetics. One of their unique forms of asceticism was “silence.” Following the death of St. Thalassius in 440 A.D., Limnaeus joined St. Maron (February 14) and with him lived a life of mortification on top of a mountain under the open sky.

4. SAINT PAPIUS OF HIERAPOLIS

Papius was a disciple of the holy apostles and a patristic author. From Papius we have testimony of the Gospels of St. Matthew, St. Mark, the four Marys and the brothers of our Lord as well as an incomplete but preserved manuscript: “An Interpretation of the Words of our Lord.”

HYMN OF PRAISE

ST. MAURICE AND SAINT PHOTINUS, SOLDIERS OF CHRIST

Of noble root – of noble vine

The young Photinus; to God a sacrifice, beautiful and well-pleasing.

The father witness as they beheaded his son,

As streams of red blood poured out

Maurice, the father courageous; his heart overcome,

Neither screamed he, nor sorrowed nor a tear shed.

To me dear God, you gave him, he said:

O Good One, for all of your love what better could I give?

Of death, make me worthy as You did Photinus,

You Who, for us, sacrificed Your only Son!

Maurice, of the heavenly kingdom, glorious soldier,

Does not receive a gift from earthly rulers,

But, his company, legion of pride, he encourages;

Before the soul-less idols not to bend,

His company into death he leads and through death to life,

To express this rare beauty, the tongue is too weak.

On our flesh, let the wasps and hornets feed,

Nevertheless, we are not defeated; we are not, O soldiers.

Our blood, let the mosquitoes suck; let them be fed,

On that other side, O my brothers, we shall soon be,

Where all of those reign who fought for the Cross,

We did not betray You! To Christ the God, we shall say.

REFLECTION

Concerning the constant abiding with God, St. Anthony teaches: “Let your soul abide with the Lord at all times, and let your body abide on earth as a statue. Always stand upright before the face of the Lord. Let the fear of God always be before your eyes; and in like manner, remembrance of death, repulsion of everything worldly. Die every day that you may live; for whoever fears God will live forever. Be constantly vigilant so not to fall into laziness and idleness. Abhor all that is worldly and distance yourself from it or else it will distance you from God. Abhor all that will bring ruin to your soul. Do not deviate from God for the sake of transient things. Do not accept the example of one weaker than yourself rather from the one who is more perfect. Before all else continually pour out prayer, give thanks to God for all that would befall you. If you would fulfill all that is commanded, you will receive the inheritance `What the eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart what God has prepared‘ ” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Lord Jesus in conversation with Martha and Mary:

1. How both sisters cordially receive the Lord and desire to hear His word;

2. How Mary is more worried with the spiritual and Martha about the material hospitality of the Divine Guest;

3. How the Lord rejoices more that He satisfies someone with spiritual nourishment rather than He be satisfied with material nourishment.

HOMILY

About fools, wiser than the world

“We are fools for Christ’ssake” (1 Corinthians 4:10).

Thus speaks the great Apostle Paul who in the beginning was guided by worldly wisdom, which is against Christ, until he recognizes the falsehood and decay of the wisdom of the world and the light and stability of the wisdom of Christ. Then, the holy apostle did not become angry with the world because they called him “a fool for Christ’s sake” neither did he, in defiance of the world, hesitate to be called by this name.

It is not of any value to us how the world is going to regard or call us. However, it is important, and extremely important, how the holy angels in the heavens will regard and call us when, after death, we meet with them. This is of crucial importance and everything else is nothing.

Either we are fools for the world because of Christ or we are fools for Christ because of the world. O how short-lived is the sound of a word of the world! If the world would say to us “fool,” the world will die and its word will die! What then is the value of its word? But if the heavenly, immortal ones say to us “fool,” that will neither die nor is it removed from us as eternal condemnation.

Whoever does not believe in the Living God, nor in eternal life, nor in the Incarnation of the Lord Christ, nor in Christ’s Resurrection nor in the truth of the Gospel nor in God’s eternal mercy and justice – is it any wonder if he considers that one a fool who does believes in all of this?

O, may every one of us who cross ourselves with the Sign of the Cross not only find it easy to endure but with satisfaction receive the name “fool” for Christ’s sake! Let us rejoice and be glad if the non-believers call us such, for that means that we are close to Christ and far away from the non-believers. Let us rejoice and be glad and repeat with a powerful echo in the ears of the world: yes, yes, indeed we are fools for Christ’s sake!

O Lord Most-wise, strengthen us by Your power that we not fear the non-believing world neither when they lash us with whips nor when they insult us with words for Your sake.