Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have mercy on me a sinner
Rejoice, love vanquishing every desire..
Rejoice, unwedded Bride
Rejoice, unwedded Bride
Love makes everything.... yes, everything
DORMTION FAST
FAST DAY
Apodosis of the Transfiguration
• Tr. Rel. of St. Máximos the Confessor
Sts. Dorótheos and Dosítheos
St. Tíkhon of Zadónsk,
the Wonder-Worker
A mighty spiritual giant, who was broken by nothing and by no one, whose image does not fade with the ages, Venerable Maximos the Confessor is a faithful indicator, even till now, of how one may follow after Christ by that path by which Saint Maximos so faithfully followed the Lord.
Saint Maximos was born at the end of the sixth century in Constantinople of noble parents and received an excellent philosophical and theological education. Under the Emperor Heraclius (610-641), he was among the imperial counsellors. Seeing the spread of the heresy of the Monothelites, with which even the Emperor himself was infected, (the Monothelites rejected a human will in Jesus Christ, whereby they diminished the significance of His sufferings on the Cross; the Monothelites incorrectly thought that the human nature of Jesus Christ was swallowed up and annihilated by His Divine nature), he left the imperial palace and joined the monks in the Chrysopolis Monastery. Subsequently, Venerable Maximos became the superior of this monastery.
A profound theologian of his time and a strict defender of Orthodoxy, Maximos very ably and successfully demonstrated the incorrectness of the Monothelite heresy, for which he was subjected to persecutions many times by the enemies of the Church.
Venerable Maximos's arguments in behalf of Orthodoxy were so powerful that after a public debate on the faith with Pyrrhus, the Monothelite Patriarch of Constantinople, the latter renounced the heresy in 645.
Venerable Maximos was sent into exile several times and each time would again be called back to Constantinople. The heretics often passed from admonitions and promises to threats, abuse and the beating of Venerable Maximos.
On one occasion, Saint Maximos was called back to Constantinople, where the imperial grandees, Troilus and Sergius, again subjected him to interrogation. They began to accuse Saint Maximos of pride for esteeming himself as the only Orthodox who is being saved and for considering all others to be heretics who are perishing.
Venerable Maximos remained unshaken in his religious convictions. Finally, they cut off his right hand and tongue, so that he could not proclaim or defend the truth either by word or by pen. Then they dispatched him to confinement in Lazov (a region of Mingrelia) in the Caucasus. Here, Venerable Maximos died on the 13th of August 662, knowing in advance of his end.
By God's Providence, the severed right hand of Saint Maximos has been kept as a great treasure in the Monastery of Saint Paul on the Holy Mountain Athos since the 12th Century. It was the only known relic of Saint Maximos until the 2010 discovery of his relics in his grave in Georgia which were authenticated in 2015.
Venerable Maximos wrote many theological works in defense of Orthodoxy. Especially valuable are his instructions on the spiritual and contemplative life, some of which were included in the “Philokalia” (a collection of patristic instructions on prayer and the ascetic life). In these ascetical instructions, the spiritual profundity and perceptiveness of Saint Maximos’s thought is revealed. Also, an explanation of the Divine Liturgy that has a great theological significance has come down to us from him.
Saint Maximos was born at the end of the sixth century in Constantinople of noble parents and received an excellent philosophical and theological education. Under the Emperor Heraclius (610-641), he was among the imperial counsellors. Seeing the spread of the heresy of the Monothelites, with which even the Emperor himself was infected, (the Monothelites rejected a human will in Jesus Christ, whereby they diminished the significance of His sufferings on the Cross; the Monothelites incorrectly thought that the human nature of Jesus Christ was swallowed up and annihilated by His Divine nature), he left the imperial palace and joined the monks in the Chrysopolis Monastery. Subsequently, Venerable Maximos became the superior of this monastery.
A profound theologian of his time and a strict defender of Orthodoxy, Maximos very ably and successfully demonstrated the incorrectness of the Monothelite heresy, for which he was subjected to persecutions many times by the enemies of the Church.
Venerable Maximos's arguments in behalf of Orthodoxy were so powerful that after a public debate on the faith with Pyrrhus, the Monothelite Patriarch of Constantinople, the latter renounced the heresy in 645.
Venerable Maximos was sent into exile several times and each time would again be called back to Constantinople. The heretics often passed from admonitions and promises to threats, abuse and the beating of Venerable Maximos.
On one occasion, Saint Maximos was called back to Constantinople, where the imperial grandees, Troilus and Sergius, again subjected him to interrogation. They began to accuse Saint Maximos of pride for esteeming himself as the only Orthodox who is being saved and for considering all others to be heretics who are perishing.
Then Troilus and Sergius began to point out to Saint Maximos that already the whole Christian world recognized the Monothelite Patriarch of Constantinople as legitimate, that all the Eastern Patriarchs and their locum tenens were in communion with him, and that the plenipotentiary (diplomat - having full power to take independent action) representatives of the Roman Pope will serve with the Patriarch and commune with him. Thus, he is the only one remaining in the whole world who does not recognize the Patriarch.
To this, the Saint replied: “When all the people in Babylon were worshipping the golden idol, the Three Holy Youths did not condemn anyone to perdition. They did not concern themselves with what others were doing, but took care only for themselves, so as not to fall away from true piety. In precisely the same way, Daniel also, when cast into the den, did not condemn any of those who, in fulfilling the law of Darius, did not want to pray to God; but he bore in mind his duty, and desired rather to die than to sin and be tormented by his conscience for transgressing God’s Law.
God forbid that I, too, should condemn anyone, or say that I alone am being saved. However, I would sooner agree to die than, having apostatized in any way from the right faith, endure the torments of my conscience.”
The Saint answered: “If even the whole universe should begin to commune with the Patriarch, I will not commune with him. For I know from the writings of the holy Apostle Paul that the Holy Spirit will give over to anathema even the angels, if they should begin to preach any other gospel, introducing anything new.”
Subsequently, they cut off his right hand and tongue . . .
By God's Providence, the severed right hand of Saint Maximos has been kept as a great treasure in the Monastery of Saint Paul on the Holy Mountain Athos since the 12th Century. It was the only known relic of Saint Maximos until the 2010 discovery of his relics in his grave in Georgia which were authenticated in 2015.
Venerable Maximos wrote many theological works in defense of Orthodoxy. Especially valuable are his instructions on the spiritual and contemplative life, some of which were included in the “Philokalia” (a collection of patristic instructions on prayer and the ascetic life). In these ascetical instructions, the spiritual profundity and perceptiveness of Saint Maximos’s thought is revealed. Also, an explanation of the Divine Liturgy that has a great theological significance has come down to us from him.
Sts. Dorótheos and Dosítheos
St. Tíkhon of Zadónsk, the Wonder-Worker
2 Corinthians 9:12-10:7
King James Version
12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
10 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? if any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.
Saint Mark 3:20-27
King James Version
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.
22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
St. Maximos the Confessor: The person who loves God cannot help loving every man as himself . . .
Paradise Now
Free will is a gift from God. It allows one to make choices. But far beyond the choices we make and have made, it allows us the freedom to exchange it for God’s Will. In doing so entirely and completely, for God and for God alone, our will is miraculously, by our Father's love for us, not lost but retained. Once this occurs faith is fulfilled Illumination, Theosis .
'...I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father Who hath sent me.'
