Thursday April 28 / May 11 ns 2023 • Holy Nine Martyrs of Cyzicos • Acts 10:34–43; St. John 8:12–20 > A NOTE ON PRAYER by Saint Silouan the Athonite > PARADISE NOW : Outside of Time

 C H R I S T   I S   R I S E N !

The Nine Holy Martyrs of Cyzicos

Thursday April 28 / May 11 ns 2023

These nine brave martyrs, inflamed with love for Christ, refused to offer sacrifices to the idols or to deny Christ the Lord, for which they were brutally tortured and finally beheaded. During the reign of Emperor Constantine, a church was built in Cyzicus in honor of these martyrs where their incorruptible relics were placed. Countless healings have taken place over their relics. Their names were: THEOGONIUS, RUFUS, ANTIPATER, THEOCTIST, ARTEMAS, MAGNUS, THEODOTUS, THAUMASILUS AND PHILEMON. All of them despised everything temporal for the eternal, the corruptible for the incorruptible. That is why the Lord led them to His eternal home and crowned them with unfading wreaths of glory. They suffered honorably and were glorified in the eighth century.

Acts 10:34-43 KJV

34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.


Saint John 8:12-20 KJV

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

A NOTE ON PRAYER

by Saint Silouan the Athonite

Read Diligently!
Examine Your Prayer

Be Honest

Whoever loves the Lord remembers Him always, and this memory of the Lord gives birth to prayer. 

If you do not remember the Lord, you will not pray; in the absence of prayer the soul languishes (loses its vitality) without the love of God. 

• For it is through prayer that we feel the grace of the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer saves man from sin, for a praying mind is busy with God and stands in humility before the Lord, whom the soul recognizes.

Prayer is given to those who pray, as the Scriptures say, but prayer offered only by force of habit, without heartfelt sorrow for sins, is not pleasing to the Lord. 

• A loving soul cannot abstain from prayer, for it strives to reach Him through the grace which it feels by means of prayer.

For prayer we have been given churches, in which services are conducted according to books, but you cannot take a church with you, and even books are not always available, whereas internal prayer is with you always and in all places.

Holy rites are performed in churches in the presence of the Holy Spirit, but the soul is the best Church of God, and whoever prays in the soul knows the world as his church. But this is not for everyone.

Many pray aloud and like to pray from books, and this is good, and the Lord accepts their prayers and has mercy on them. But if someone should pray to the Lord and be thinking of something else, this prayer will not be heard. Whoever prays through habit has no change in prayer, but whoever prays with feeling has many changes: there is a struggle with the enemy, a struggle with oneself, with passions, a struggle with others, and one must remain hearty. Many like to read good books, and this is commendable,  but prayer is best.

If your mind wishes to pray in your heart and cannot,  then read the prayer aloud and keep your mind on the words of the prayer, as the "Ladder" recommends. 

In time, the Lord will give you prayer of the heart without interfering thoughts, and prayer will become easy.  Know the order of religious life: gifts are given to a simple, humble, attentive soul. Whoever is obedient is sparing in everything: food, words, acts; to these the Lord gives prayer, and it repeats easily in the heart.

• Unceasing prayer derives from love and is lost through passing judgment, idle talk and intemperance. 

• Whoever loves God might think about Him day and night, because no activities can stand in the way of loving God.

The Apostles loved God and the world did not stand in their way, though they understood the world, and prayed for it, and preached.

PARADISE NOW

Outside of Time