Saturday September 10 / 23 ns 2023 • Holy Martyrs Menodóra, Metrodóra, and Nymphodóra > ON NOT BEING DECEIVED AND ON THE BODY AND THE SOUL {You're in the Arena - Are you armored?} by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

Wednesday

Elevation of the Cross

You're in the Arena.

Are you armored?

St. Ignaty Brianchaninov

Holy Martyrs Menodóra, Metrodóra, and Nymphodóra were sisters by birth and grew up somewhere in Asian Bithynia. Reared in the spirit of Christianity, they withdrew from the city to the wilderness, wishing to elevate their minds to God and to free themselves of everything in this deceitful world, and to live this life in purity and virginity as true brides of Christ. They dedicated themselves to great labor, fasting and prayer, until God adorned them with the gift of miracle-working. When people began to bring the sick to them for healing, they became well known against their will. 

A certain governor, Fronton, heard of them and brought them to trial. Upon seeing them, the governor was amazed at the beauty of their faces. For, even though they were great fasters and their bodies were withered, their faces were radiant, illumined by inward peace and the grace of God. At first, the governor flattered them and promised to send them to the emperor, who would give them in marriage to his noblemen. But when he was convinced that all of his flattery and promises had no effect on these brides of Christ, he ordered that Menodóra be tortured first, and her sisters thrown into prison. 

After cruel tortures, the governor cried out to Menodóra, who was wounded and bloody: "Offer sacrifice to the gods!'' To this the holy martyr replied: "Do you not see that I am offering my entire self as a sacrifice to my God?'' When St. Menodóra was slain by the tortures, the governor then brought out the remaining two sisters, and stood them by the dead body of Menodóra. Pointing to the body of their sister, he counseled them to deny Christ. Since they remained steadfast, he slew them by harsh tortures. Just then, a thunderbolt struck from heaven, and killed the soulless Fronton and his servants. 

Christians honorably buried the bodies of these holy martyrs of God. They suffered between the years of 305 and 311, during the reign of Maximian Galerius, and found rest in the Kingdom of Christ.

THE EPISTLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLE PAUL

1 Corinthians 2:6-9 KJV

6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 

Saint Matthew 10:37-11:1 KJV

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

11 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

ON NOT BEING DECEIVED

AND

ON THE BODY AND THE SOUL

by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

… Study and learn the real situation appointed for you by the Providence of God during your earthly pilgrimage. Do not allow fallen spirits to deceive and seduce you when they set before you earthly prosperity in an attractive, false picture, and suggest that you should desire and strive for it, so as to steal and rob you of your eternal treasure. Do not expect and do not seek praise and approval from human society. Do not hanker after fame and glory. Do not expect and do not seek an untroubled life with plenty of latitude and scope, replete with every convenience. That is not your lot. Do not seek and do not expect love from people. Seek earnestly and demand from yourself love and compassion for others. Be content with the fact that a few true servants of God whom you meet from time to time in the course of your life love you, and with love and interest approve of your conduct and glorify God for you. Such meetings were not frequent even in the flourishing times of Christianity; lately they have become extremely rare.

At man’s procreation in his present fallen state, the body serves the soul as the swaddling cloth serves a newborn. The swaddled body of a newborn forms correctly, but without the bindings his organs, being soft, can become misshapen. So too the soul, clothed in the body, covered and separated by it from the world of spirits, gradually forms itself by studying God’s law, or, which is the same, by studying Christianity and receiving the ability to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5: 14). Then the spiritual perception of spirits is granted and, if it conforms to God’s purpose guiding the soul, the sensory perception is then granted, since deception and seduction of the soul are now less dangerous, while experience and knowledge are beneficial. When our souls are separated from the body by physical death, we once again enter the state and community of the spirits. It is clear then that for a safe entrance into the world of spirits, a timely self-teaching of God’s law is necessary. It is exactly for this learning that we are given a certain time, determined by God for each man, to wander the earth. That journey is called human life.