† ALL SAINTS OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN ATHOS SUNDAY June 5/18 ns 2023 • Holy Hieromartyr Dorótheos, Bishop of Tyre; Holy Hieromartyr Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz and Enlightener of Germany • Fish, wine, and olive oil are permitted • St. Mark 16:1–8; Rom. 2:10–16; St. Matt. 4:18–23 • QUOTES FROM ST PAISIOS OF MT ATHOS

Thou didst ascend the cross O Jesus

Thou Who didst descend from heaven

Thou camest unto death O Life Immortal

Thou camest unto those in darkness

Thou Who are the True Light

Thou camest unto the fallen O Resurrection of us all

Our Light and Savior Glory to Thee

Today we honor

ALL SAINTS OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN ATHOS

• Holy Hieromartyr Dorótheos, Bishop of Tyre;
Holy Hieromartyr Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz and Enlightener of Germany

Dorótheos was Bishop of Tyre from the time of Diocletian to the time of Julian the Apostate under whom he was tortured and suffered for the Orthodox Faith. He lived on earth one hundred seven years and, pleasing God, he took up habitation in life eternal in the year 361 A.D. Dorótheos was a very educated man and wrote many instructive works in Greek and Latin. Especially famous is his Greek-Latin Syntagma.

Orthros Saint Mark 16:1-8 KJV

16 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

Romans 2:10-16

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Saint Matthew 4:18-23 KJV

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

From Saint Paisios the Athonite

Do not believe your thoughts, neither when they tell you that you are terrible, nor when they tell you that you are a saint.

Live simply and without thinking too much, like a child with his father. Faith without too much thinking works wonders. The logical mind hinders the Grace of God and miracles. Practice patience without judging with the logical mind.

Thoughts are like airplanes flying in the air. If you ignore them, there is no problem. If you pay attention to them, you create an airport inside your head and permit them to land!

We have the power of the Holy Cross, our holy symbol, the divine grace of Christ, only as long as we have the holy marking of the Holy Baptism, meaning we have denied the devil and sided with Christ, and received the Holy Marking, the seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

The goal is to rise spiritually, not simply to avoid sin.

So in every test, let us say: "Thank you, my God, because this was needed for my salvation."

Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Evlogia Kyriou - The Blessing of the Lord - Barakat al Rub (from Rabbouni or Rabbi meaning Teacher or Master).

With immense joy and gratitude we commemorate in love and humility the holy selfless lovers of God from the Holy Mountain Athos who renounce this transient life to enter into ETERNAL LIFE.  The Holy Mountain is Orthodoxy's signpost for the earth and the universe.  Glory to God for all things!

Countless quotes from the holy fathers from Mt Athos and holy mothers could have been added to the PARAGON today but if you have become friends with just one of them through prayer you would know that following the guidance of Christ offered by any one of them would suffice.

Please send me a note of what you think of Agios Paisios.