Thursday June 2/15 ns 2023 • St. Nicephóros the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople; Holy New Martyr John of Suceava • Fish, wine and olive oil are permitted • Rom. 5:10–16; St. Matt. 8:23–27 • QUOTES FROM THE HOLY PROPHET MOSES • The Blessed Father Justin of Ćelije (Popovich)

 

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Saint Nicephóros the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople

Holy New Martyr John of Suceava

Q: Who is more honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim?

Nicephóros was a nobleman of Constantinople. His father Theodore, a high-ranking official of the imperial court, was wealthy and pious. Nicephóros served at the court for several years in the same profession as his father. Seeing all the vanity of the world, he withdrew to the shores of the Bosphorus and founded a monastery. The monastery was quickly filled with monks and he governed it but was not willing to receive the monastic tonsure under the pretext that he was not worthy, even though, in all things he served as a model to all. Before that, he participated in the Seventh Ecumenical Council [Nicea, 783 A.D.] as a layman at the wishes of the emperor and the patriarch and the Council benefited greatly by his superior knowledge of Sacred Scripture. 

When Patriarch Tarasios died, Nicephóros was elected patriarch against his will. Immediately following his election in the year 806 A.D., he received the monastic tonsure and in succession all other ecclesiastical ranks. He was enthroned as patriarch in the Church of the Divine Wisdom of God [Hagia Sophia]. This took place during the reign of Emperor Nicephóros who immediately, after that, went to war against the Bulgarians and was slain. His son, Stauracius, reigned only two months and died. After him, the good Emperor Michael, surnamed Rangabe, ruled but he reigned for only two years until he was overthrown by Leo the Armenian and banished into exile. When Leo was crowned, the patriarch sent him a book of the Orthodox Confession of Faith to sign (according to the custom of all Byzantine emperors which was considered an oath that they will uphold and defend the True Faith). The emperor did not sign it but rather postponed it until after the coronation. When the patriarch crowned him, Leo refused to sign the book and quickly proved himself to be a heretic; an iconoclast. The patriarch attempted to advise him and to restore him to the True Faith, but in vain. The emperor forcibly banished Nicephóros into exile to the island of Proconnesus where he remained for thirteen years enduring every kind of misery and privation and entered eternity in the year 827 A.D. As patriarch he governed the Church of Christ for nine years.

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Romans 5:10-16 KJV

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

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Saint Matthew 8:23-27 KJV

23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

27 But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

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The Blessed Father Justin of Ćelije (Popovich) by Reader George Pejnović 

DURING THE TIME THAT FATHER JUSTIN was living at the convent in Ćelije, there was a nun who served him as his cell attendant. When this nun wished to speak with Father Justin while he was in his cell, she would approach the door of his room in the customary monastic fashion, knocking on the door and saying the words, “Through the prayers of our Holy Master, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” She would then wait for his reply, “Amen,” knowing then that she could enter his cell.

It happened one day that a certain gentleman went to see Father Justin. After speaking to the aforementioned nun regarding his request to see the Elder, she went to knock at Father Justin’s door, in order to convey the message. But as she was about to knock on the door, she heard Father Justin speaking with someone whose voice she didn’t recognize. She immediately became concerned, since she was always, again, the one who arranged all of the visits from those who wished to see him. Indeed, no one could enter Father Justin’s cell without her first knowing. Still wondering how it could have happened that someone had entered Father Justin’s cell without her having known, she left his cell, only to return sometime later to inform Father Justin, once more, that there was someone waiting to speak with him. She approached the door of his cell, knocked, as before, and recited the usual invocation, waiting for his reply. But again she heard Father Justin conversing with the man with an unfamiliar voice. When, later, she approached the Elder’s cell for a third time, she knocked, recited the usual prayer, and waited for his reply. This time, there was silence. She heard neither Father Justin’s voice nor the voice of the stranger whom she had distinctly heard speaking the two previous times. Becoming frightened, she began knocking on the door much harder, saying, “Father Justin! Father Justin!” But there was still no reply—only silence. Concerned, now, for his safety, and thinking that the stranger might have been an enemy of Father Justin—because he was, at one time, placed under house arrest at the monastery by the Communist authorities—, the nun opened the door and saw Father Justin sitting at his desk—stunned. “Father Justin! Father Justin, what is wrong? What is wrong? Who was in your room? I heard you speaking with a man. Who was it? Who was it?” Father Justin turned to her ever so slowly and said, “The Holy Apostle Paul." 

This event is very similar to one recorded in the accounts of the life of St. John Chrysostomos, to whom the Apostle Paul appeared while the Saint was writing a commentary on the writings of the Apostle. (Icon below)