Today's quote from
Paraphrases of the Homilies of Saint Makarios of Egypt
by Saint Symeon Metaphrastis
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Holy Hieromartyr Evtychés;
Evtychés was one of the lesser apostles and was born in Sebastopol. He was a disciple and imitator of the Apostle John the Theologian and the Apostle Paul. Even though he is not numbered among the seventy apostles, nevertheless, he is called an apostle because he was a disciple of the great apostles and, because in his evangelical service, he displayed true apostolic zeal. Consecrated a missionary bishop, St. Eutyches traveled much, having, an angel as his companion. In prison, he received heavenly bread from an angel. When his body was scrapped with a serrated iron rod, blood flowed from him with unusual fragrant myrrh. He was thrown into a fire and before wild beasts and finally beheaded with a sword in Sebastopol.
St. Cosmás Aitolós the New Hieromartyr, Equal-to-the-Apostles;
Holy New Hieromartyr Maxim (Sandovich) of Lemkovina
2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5 KJV
17 For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.
18 And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;
19 And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:
20 Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:
21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.
23 Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.
24 Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.
9 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:
4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
Saint Mark 3:13-21 KJV
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
Paraphrases of the Homilies of Saint Makarios of Egypt
by Saint Symeon Metaphrastis
I am convinced that not even the apostles, although filled with the Holy Spirit, were therefore completely free from anxiety. In addition to exultation and inexpressible joy they also felt a certain fear, prompted, to be sure, not from the side of evil but by grace itself; for grace was so securely established with them that they could not in fact deviate at all from the right path. And just as a child by throwing a small pebble does not real harm to a wall, or as a feeble arrow can damage a strong breastplate only very slightly, so even if some evil thing assailed them, the attack proved to be utterly ineffectual and vain, since they were well protected by the power of Christ. Yet even though they were perfect they still possessed their free will; contrary to the stupid view expressed by some, the advent of grace does not mean immediate deliverance from anxiety. The Lord asks even from the perfect that the soul's will should serve the Spirit, so that the two come together. "Do not quench the Spirit", says the holy apostle Paul to the Thessalonians 5:19 KJV
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