Tuesday August 3/16 ns 2022 • Sts. Isaácios, Dalmátos, and Fáustus • SHOULD WE FEAR GOD? • Fast day

 

Venerable Isaácios is celebrated again separately on May 30. At first, St. Dalmátos was an officer during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great whom the emperor held in great esteem. When the spirit awakened in him, he despised all earthly things, resigned his rank and took his only son Fáustus and, with him, went to the community of St. Isaac in the outskirts of Constantinople where they both were tonsured as monks. Dalmátos was completely devoted to a god-pleasing life for which the elder Isaácios rejoiced. When Isaácios approached the hour of death, he appointed Dalmátos as abbot in his place. Later, this community was named after him - the so-called Dalmátos. Dalmátos devoted himself to fasting, at times for forty days. By fasting he conquered the invisible demonic power. He participated in the Third Ecumenical Council [Ephesus 431 A.D.] and fought against the Nestorian heresy. Pleasing God, he died peacefully in the fifth century. His son Fáustus supported his father in everything and, after a God-pleasing life, died peacefully in this Dalmátos community.

1 Corinthians 15:29-38 KJV

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

Saint Matthew 21:23-27 KJV

23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

Reader: 
There are those who say they have no fear of the Lord.

And there are those who find it difficult to understand why they should fear God. 

Others ask what is there to fear.  

Since followers of Christ do not believe that we are a product of nature but created by God,  they know that He expects obedience to His two commandments.

Whatever your opinion, please read from Saint Macarios the Great.

--- if a man goes his way in this life with slackness and carelessness, taking no heed {for his soul}, and, to please himself, will not turn away from all the lust of the world, and will not seek the Lord, and Him only, with all desire, he is pierced on {by} the thorns and thickets of this world, and the garment of the body is burned here and there by the fire of lust, and soiled by the mire of pleasures; and thus the soul is found without boldness in the day of judgment, not having succeeded in keeping its raiment unspotted, but having corrupted it with the deceits of this world; and for this reason it is rejected from the kingdom. What can God do with one who willfully gives himself over to the world, and is deceived by its pleasures, or led astray by material wanderings? The man to whom He gives help is the one who turns away from material pleasures and from his former habits, who drags his mind at all times to the Lord, whether it will or no, who denies himself and seeks the Lord only. This is the man whom He keeps under His care, who guards himself on every side from the snares and entanglements of the material world, who works out his own salvation with fear and trembling, who passes with all heed amidst the snares and entanglements and lusts of this world, and seeks the help of the Lord, and hopes by His mercy to be saved through grace.

+ Saint Macarios the Great

HYDRANGEAS