Friday, May 20, 2022

Saturday May 8 / 21 ns 2022 - Saint John the Theologian and Evangelist; Saint Arsénios the Great - HYMN OF PRAISE; REFLECTION; HOMILY by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich

C H R I S T I S R I S E N !

Saint John the Theologian and Evangelist

Saint Arsénios the Great

2022

The feast day of this great apostle and evangelist is celebrated on September 26. This day (May 8) commemorates the miracle which appeared at his grave. When John was over one hundred years old, he took seven of his disciples, went outside the town of Ephesus and ordered them to dig a grave in the form of a cross. After that, the elder went down into this grave and was buried. Later on, when the faithful opened John's grave, they did not find his body. On May 8 of every year, dust is raised from his grave from which the sick are healed of various diseases.

1 Saint John 1:1-7 (KJV)

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Saint John 19:25-27;21:24-25 (KJV)

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Saint John the Theologian,

Apostle and Evangelist

HYMN OF PRAISE;

REFLECTION;

HOMILY

by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich

St. John the Evangelist,

Son of Zebedee the fisherman,

Was young when the love

Of Jesus greatly warmed him.

The most faithful friend of the Lord,

With a pure, virginal soul,

With a soul pure and loving,

Visionary and heroic.

He proclaimed wondrous mysteries

And removed the seal from eternity.

He saw the destiny of the world,

from the beginning to the end.

He preached love,

And in love he walked;

To the throne of the Most-high God

He was raised up in love.

And with love he was exalted

Like a snow-capped mountain:

The Son of Thunder, an awesome prophet,

But meek and tender in heart.

O John, seer of wonders,

O thundering saint-

Bear our small petitions

To your Friend, the Savior!

Bring us close to Him,

The powerful God, the sweet God;

And though we are not worthy of His bosom,

At least bring us close-to His feet!

REFLECTION

Saint Clement of Alexandria relates that, somewhere in Asia Minor, St. John the Apostle had baptized a pagan youth and entrusted him to the care of the local bishop, while he went on further to preach the Gospel. In John's absence, this young man became corrupt, and began to drink and steal, and finally joined a band of thieves in the forest, who attacked men and robbed them. After a while John returned, and heard from the bishop what had happened to this young man. Then Apostle John, not wasting a moment, found a horse and a guide and rushed to the forest where the robbers were to be found. Searching through the forest the saint found them, and confronted their leader. When the young man recognized John, he began to flee. Though aged, John chased him and, despite his old age, caught him. The young man fell at the feet of the apostle and, in shame, could not look him in the eye. John embraced and kissed him, as a shepherd does upon finding his lost sheep. The saint brought him back to town and confirmed him anew in the Faith and in virtuous life. Thereafter pleasing God, this young man entered into rest in due time.

HOMILY

On Prayer Inspired by Truth

Sanctify them by Thy truth. Thy word is truth
(St. John 17:17).

When a mother is led to death, she worries more about the children whom she leaves behind than about herself.

Such is the bond of great love. The Lord Jesus Christ had an even greater love for His disciples than that of a mother for her children. Going to His death, the Lord prayed to His heavenly Father for His disciples. He prayed, not because He lacked power to help them, but prayed to the Father to show the unity of His being with, and love for, His Father. But why did He then ascribe Truth to the Father, when before that He referred to the Spirit of Truth (St. John 14:17), saying to the disciples: The Spirit of Truth … will guide you into all truth (St. John 16:13)?

To demonstrate the equality of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Did He not first say of Himself: I am the Truth (St. John 14:6)? And, afterward, did He not call the Holy Spirit the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth? And He now ascribes truth to the Father as well: Sanctify them by Thy truth! He who would see any contradiction in this does not comprehend God as Unity and Trinity-Unity of Essence and Trinity of Persons. In that He ascribes truth as something essential to each Person of the Divine Trinity, the Lord demonstrates the equality of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. For if one Person of the Divine Trinity would possess less truth, He would be lesser, in Essence, than the other two Persons. With a lessening of truth, there is also a lessening of power, love and wisdom. Therefore, the Lord referred to Himself, the Father, and the Holy Spirit as Truth, so that men would know and believe in Their complete, essential unity. Therefore let none of the faithful be deluded by any lie asserting an inequality of the Persons of the Holy Trinity.

Everyone should endeavor to wipe his heart clean of sin, as one cleans a mirror: only then can we truly perceive the great truth of the equality of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

O Triune and Divine Truth, enlighten us with Thyself, and save us.