B E A T I F I C A T I O N: ASCETICISM by +Metropolitan Cyprian of Blessed Memory and SUPPLEMENT on HOW PEOPLE QUARREL (The Complicity of the Evil Spirits) and an Anecdotes

 The Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ

CHRIST IS RISEN!

† Bright  Saturday

Holy Hieromartyr Symeon, Bishop of Persia, et al

April 17 /30 ns 2022

No Fasting

During the reign of the wicked Emperor Sapor [Savori], Symeon was tortured for Christ along with his two presbyters, Audel and Ananias. The emperor's eunuch, Ustazan, who had earlier denied Christ and afterward, touched by the rebuke of St. Symeon, again, confessed the True Faith before the emperor.   A thousand other Christians were also led to the place of execution with Symeon. Symeon intentionally moved out of the way in order to be the last one to be beheaded so as to encourage the other Christians to the end, so that, not one of them would waver because of their fear of death. 

When the presbyter Ananias placed his head on the chopping block, his entire body quivered. The emperor's court clerk Fusik, who secretly was a Christian, began to encourage Ananias saying: 

" Do not be afraid old man, close your eyes and be brave so that you may see the Divine Light." 

As soon as Fusik said this, he was recognized as a Christian and was accused before the emperor. The emperor exhausted him through great torture, as well as his daughter, the maiden Askitria. After St. Symeon saw his flock depart to the other world, he was finally beheaded. The following year on Great Friday, Azat [Ustazan], the beloved eunuch of the emperor, was also slain for Christ and with him a thousand other faithful. Then the emperor mourned for his eunuch and suspended the further killing of Christians. They all suffered honorably for Christ the King and Lord in the year 341 or 344 A.D.

Saint Makarios, Archbishop of Corinth

Acts 3:11-16 KJV

11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.


Saint John 3:22-33 KJV

22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

24 For John was not yet cast into prison.

25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

Supplement

Click on image - Ends today

ASCETICISM

by +Metropolitan Cyprian of Blessed Memory
Sts. Cyprian and Justina Monastery, Phyle Greece

[Added to PAGES]

It is a real tragedy, one that every struggling Christian lives through each day, that our nature is inundated by the passions. We incline towards sin as if in accordance with our nature. Along with the Fall, we have inherited this sick nature from our forefathers. The first, earthly Adam, gave us the mortality of our nature along with our robes of skin. But the second Adam, the heavenly Adam - our Savior Jesus Christ - has raised us up again, fashioned our nature anew, and become the Founder of a new race, of a new breed of man - members of His Body - which we become through Holy Baptism, receiving the command to do battle against our weak nature our whole life long, and through His Church to become holy and to make ourselves divine.

This painful struggle with the sin that dwells within us is called by the holy Fathers 'asceticism'; A Christian devoid of asceticism is inconceivable. Faith must be generated in a crucible of voluntary and involuntary sufferings in order to be purified of the dross of sin. Along with the patience we must have afflictions - which our Master, Who loves mankind, allows to come upon us - it is indispensable that there be added the related struggle towards a life of overall abstinence. St. Maximus the Confessor defines the perfect man thus: 'He is perfect who struggles with voluntary afflictions through abstinence, and with involuntary afflictions by restraining himself with patience'. 

One must practice asceticism to endure temptations patiently, yet at the same time one must take care not to exhaust the body, lest through weakness it become the lair of passions.  However, it is incontestable that from this bitter and terrible contest against sin and the passions and the battle to acquire the virtues, there is born the sweet flower of humility and repentance. You will see the full extent of the wretchedness of our fallen nature, and you will understand that you are nothing; you will become contrite and humble, seeking both redemption and the Redeemer. The blessed Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov describes this phenomenon with great profundity: 'Perfect virtue is to understand that only Christ can redeem you, and to place yourself before Him as a slave, realizing that any virtue you might have is not due to yourself, and that you cannot possess any worthiness apart trom Christ and independent of the Person of the God-man';

True and deep humility, which places us on the true path of repentance, is the shocking realization of our own wretchedness - blessed self-knowledge. And this is given to us as a gift of divine grace when we struggle amid both voluntary and involuntary afflictions with patience and abstinence. 

May the Lord strengthen us!

Anecdotes

While sitting quietly in a small room along with a few monks and others waiting for Metropolitan Cyprian to speak to a large gathering on a Sunday evening in Athens, an individual brought the Metropolitan a small bowl of ready-to-eat pomegranate seeds and set them on a table in front of him.  The Metropolitan quickly looked up at the man, pointed to the bowl of pomegranate and then pointed at me.  I must say I was more than surprised when the man brought them to me.  It was as though M. Cyprian read my mind.  I love pomegranate.

The Blue Sphere

If you think the earth is beautiful from space you should see it from down here.