Friday July 2 / 15 ns 2022 • Deposition of the Precious Robe of the Theotokos; St. Zacharias the Starets of Moscow; St. Juvenal, Archbishop of Jerusalem • HYMN OF PRAISE FOR THE THEOTOKOS by St Nikolai Velimirovich - TIME by St Tikhon of Zadonsk - Wine and olive oil are permitted

Deposition of the Precious Robe of the Theotokos;

St. Zacharias the Starets of Moscow; St. Juvenal, Archbishop of Jerusalem

During the reign of Emperor Leo the Great (458-471 A.D.), Empress Verina and Patriarch Gennadius, two noblemen from Constantinople, Galibus and Candidus, traveled throughout the Holy Land to venerate and to worship before the holy shrines. In Nazareth, they stopped for a while at the home of a Jewish maiden who kept the girdle of the All-Holy Mother of God in a secret room. Many who were ill and in need received healing from their sufferings through prayer and by touching the vesture. Galibus and Candidus took this sacred article and brought it to Constantinople and reported it to the emperor and patriarch. This brought about great joy in the imperial city. The vesture was solemnly translated and placed in the Church of Blachernae. This church was built by Emperor Marcian and Empress Pulcheria on the shore of an inlet and was called Blachernae after the name of a Scetis commander who was slain there. And in remembrance of the placing of this vesture of the All-Holy Birth giver of God in this Blachernae church, this feast day was instituted.

Hymn of Praise

The Holy Theotokos 

To the All-pure Virgin, we prostrate

And through her, the mercy of God we seek.

In eternal glory, she glistens

And to the Lord Christ, for us prays.

Full of power are Her prayers.

Precious are the prayers of the Mother to the Son.

All who Her Son created She loves,

As a taper burns, with prayers for all

And reaches everywhere, for petitions to hear,

Everywhere to comfort, where sorrow poisons.

To the sick, Her name is sweetness,

To the demons, Her name is a scourge.

Where they are invoked, His Cross and Mary,

There, courage and new strength, they give.

To the All-pure Virgin, we prostrate

And through Her, the mercy of God we seek.

Reflection

Every device of which man boasts as an invention of his mind is revealed by Divine Providence and every invented device has its two-fold significance one physical, the other spiritual. Even the clock is a wonderful device but it was not invented merely to tell us the time of day and night but also to remind us of death. This is its spiritual significance. When the small hand completes its rounds of seconds and minutes then the large hand arrives at the ordered hour and the clock strikes. So will the clock of our life strike when the days, months and years of our life are numbered. 

That is why St. Tikhon of Zadonsk counsels every Christian to reflect:

• How the time of our life continually passes;
• How it is impossible to bring back time that is past;
• How the past and future times are not in our control but only that time in which we are now living;
• How the end of our life is unknown;
• How we must be prepared for death every day, every hour and every minute;
• How because of that we must always be in the state of continual repentance;
• How we must be repentant in every hour and spiritually disposed as we would wish to be at the hour of our death.

Hebrews 9:1-7 KJV

9 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.

Saint Luke 1:39-49 KJV

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.