Friday Nov 19 / Dec 2 ns 2022 • Holy Prophet Obadiah, Holy Martyr Barlaám • Fast day • EXCESSIVE CARE ABOUT THE "WORLD" Saint Seraphim of Sarov

NATIVITY FAST

PRAYER REQUIRES A PROPER CLIMATE

The PARAGON was created to facilitate access to the daily commemoration of the saints, to the Holy Scripture readings, and to the writings of the Holy Fathers and Mothers, thereby providing a proper climate that is essential to the commencement of prayer

Most Glorious, Ever-Virgin, Blessed Theotokos, offer up our prayer to thy Son and our God, and entreat Him, that through thee He may save our souls.

Contemplate:  If we believe in Christ, we will live even if we die.

However, if we Live and Believe in Christ, we will not die

Again:  ...he that hateth his life in this world...

ON THE RIGHT TRACK?

Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there. 

THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES

What choice would you make between living 200 years in a young, healthy body and living forever without aging in Paradise?

There is old saying:  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

But whether a bird or a billion in gold for a lifetime, who would trade it for Eternal Life?  "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto Life Eternal." St John 12:25 KJV

TOO BRIEF TO CARE

A temporary life is too brief to care about anything in it but the One Who created it.  

Questions? 

EXCESSIVE CARE ABOUT THE "WORLD"

Saint Seraphim of Sarov

“Excessive care about worldly matters is characteristic of an unbelieving and fainthearted person, and woe to us, if, in taking care of ourselves, we do not use as our foundation our faith in God, who cares for us! If we do not attribute visible blessings to Him, which we use in this life, then how can we expect those blessings from Him which are promised in the future? By the words of our Savior, it is better first to seek the Kingdom of God, for the rest shall be added unto us (St. Mt. 6:33).”

Holy Prophet Obadiah

Holy Martyr Barlaám

Obadiah was born in the village of Betharam in the region of Shechem. He lived at the court of King Ahab, but when the king turned away from true worship and bowed down to idols, Obadiah did not follow the king, but continued to serve the one, true God. When the evil Queen Jezebel, in her hatred of Elias, raised a persecution against all the prophets of God, Obadiah gathered a hundred of them, hid them in two caves, and fed them to the end of the persecution (I Kings 18:4). A contemporary of the great Prophet Elias, Obadiah revered him greatly and served him in all things, as his follower and disciple. He lived nine hundred years before Christ and entered peacefully into rest.

Barlaám was born in Antioch. Because of his faith in Christ the Lord, the impious judge tortured him harshly. Finally, the judge decided to mock him by forcing him to offer sacrifice to the idols. For this he took him to the pagan temple and set a burning coal on his palm and incense on the coal. The judge thought that the pain would cause the martyr to shake the coal and incense off his hand before the idols, and thus involuntarily cense them. However, the soldier of Christ heroically held the burning coal on his palm with no thought of casting it before the idols, until his fingers were burned through and fell off and his palm was completely burnt.

St. Basil the Great said: "Barlaám had a right hand more powerful than fire: although the coal burned his hand, his hand still held the fire as if it were ash.''

St. John Chrysostomos writes: "The angels looked from the heights. The archangels beheld -t he scene was majestic, in truth transcending human nature. Behold, who would not wish to see a man who made such an ascetic endeavor, yet did not feel that which is characteristic of men to feel; a man who was himself both the altar of oblation and the sacrifice and the priest?'' When his hand burned off, elder Barlaam's whole body fell to the ground dead and his soul went to the eternal rest of our Lord the Savior. This glorious, heroic elder suffered in the year 304.

 

The Holy Epistle of Saint Paul to

2 Thessalonians 3:6-18 KJV

6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

17 The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The Holy Gospel According to

Saint Luke 16:15-18, 17:1-4 KJV

15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

18 “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

17 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 

2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 

3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 

4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”