C H R I S T I S R I S E N !
Holy Martyr Crescens
Crescens was from the city of Myra in Lycia. He was an honored and well known citizen. He openly confessed his faith in Christ and mocked the dead idols. Because of that he was burned to death by the pagans.
Cannot be divided
When they brought the martyr Crescens, a nobleman of Myra in Lycia, to court the judge, in order to persuade him to worship idols, counseled him for a long time. When he did not succeed, he finally said to Crescens: "Worship [idols] only in the body and bow down before your God in the spirit!" To that, the honorable Crescens replied: "The body cannot do anything independent of the soul, which is its driving force and leader." For that Crescens was killed. An obvious lesson that a Christian cannot be duplicitous. Still another lesson: A Christian has an obligation to serve his Creator even with the body and not only with the soul. By this is refuted the false position of certain Christians who live physically as pagans and meanwhile praise themselves that they believe in God and love God with their souls. They divide themselves in two and place themselves in the service of two masters, even though the holiest lips [The Lips of Jesus Christ] proclaimed that as an impossibility.
5 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Saint John 5:30-6:2 KJV
30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
41 I receive not honour from men.
42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.
47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
6 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
41 I receive not honour from men.
42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.
47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
6 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
When a Christian has a humble attitude and laments for his sins; when his pursuit is “always that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men”; when he strives to keep God’s commandments; when he continually partakes of the Immaculate Mysteries; when he constantly reflects with gratitude on the love and gifts of God; when he cultivates the unceasing prayer of the heart—then, he lives in Christ and with Christ; that is, he has the Giver of joy and peace in his heart.
The believer who is God-Bearing and Christ-Bearing “rejoices in the Lord always,” and his presence in the world is a testimony to the Resurrection and to Pentecost; it is a revelation of the Kingdom of Heaven and the bliss of the Age to come, of which he already has a foretaste.
To those who would object that it is impossible for one to rejoice at all times, St. Basil the Great wrote a marvelous homily, entitled, “Concerning Thanksgiving,” in which he confronts those who dare “to accuse St. Paul of laying down things that are impossible for us.” The blessed joy of Christians is the indicator of their spiritual condition: a lack of joy—and, indeed, of unceasing joy—betokens a deficiency in communion with Christ, and also with our brother. It is especially when there is no love for our neighbor in our hearts, when we malign and hurt him, when we belittle and despise him, and when we cause him distress and upset, that the Lord is missing from our hearts and we have no communion with Him.
The Apostle Paul urges us to “follow that which is good,” by which he means: “Be intensely and exceedingly eager to do good to each other, that is, to your Christian fellow-believers and to all; that is, [even] to the unbelieving and the godless.” The opposite—that is, arrogance and vengeance, coldness, apathy and listlessness, hatred for our brother and ruthlessness— will make us to resemble the bee, as St. John Chrysostomos strikingly notes: “Do you not see how the bee dies as soon as it has injured someone with its sting? By that animal, God instructs us not to grieve our neighbor, because it is we who thereby first greet death. For, in striking at them, we may perhaps pain them temporarily; but we ourselves shall not live any longer, just as this animal does not.”
The most blessed Theotokos is the one to whom we address the salutation: “Rejoice, joy of all generations,” and in the Paraklesis (Services of Supplication) to her, we chant the very beautiful hymn: “Fill my heart with joy, O Virgin, who didst receive the fullness of joy and didst cause the sorrow of sin to disappear.” Let us repeat this joyful Troparion frequently and sincerely, praying to our All-Holy Mother that she count us worthy to rejoice in the Lord evermore, in the joy of the Resurrection and the Kingdom. Amen!
Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos
21 November 2005 (Old Style)
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