Thursday December 15 / 28 ns 2023 Holy Hieromartyr Elevthérios, Bishop of Illyricum; St. Paul of Latros; St. Stephen the Confessor, Archbishop of Sourozh; Holy New Hieromartyr Hilarion of Vereya

Elevthérios from a good tree comes good fruit. This wonderful saint had noble and greatly eminent parents. Elevthérios was born in Rome, where his father was an imperial proconsul. His mother Anthia heard the Gospel from the great Apostle Paul and was baptized by him. Having been left a widow early, she entrusted her only son for study and service to Anicetus the Bishop of Rome. Seeing how Elevthérios was gifted by God and illumined by the grace of God, the bishop ordained him a deacon at the age of fifteen, a priest at the age of eighteen, and a bishop at the age of twenty. Elevthérios's God-given wisdom made up for what he lacked in years, and this chosen one of God was appointed Bishop of Illyria with his seat in Valona (Avlona), Albania. The good shepherd guarded his flock well and increased their number day by day. Emperor Hadrian, a persecutor of Christians, sent the commander Felix with soldiers to seize Elevthérios and bring him to Rome. When the raging Felix arrived in Valona and entered the church, he saw and heard the holy hierarch of God; suddenly his heart changed, and he became a Christian. Elevthérios baptized Felix and departed for Rome with him, returning joyfully as if he were going to a feast and not to trial and torture. The emperor subjected the noble Elevthérios to harsh torture: flogging, roasting on an iron bed, boiling in pitch, and burning in a fiery furnace. But Elevthérios was delivered from all these deadly tortures by God's power. Seeing all this, Caribus the Roman eparch declared that he also was a Christian. Caribus was tortured and then beheaded, and so was Blessed Felix. Finally, the imperial executioners cut off the honorable head of St. Elevthérios. When his mother, the holy Anthia, came and stood over the dead body of her son, she also was beheaded. Their bodies were translated to Valona, where even today St. Elevthérios glorifies the name of Christ by his many miracles. He suffered during the reign of Hadrian in the year 120.

2 Saint Timothy 1:8-18 KJV

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us.

15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:

17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.

18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

Saint Mark 2:23-3:5 KJV

23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

How to get rid of the demons

The demons praised one of the most discerning brothers, appearing to him in visible form. But this most wise man said to them: ‘If you cease to praise me through the thoughts of my heart, I shall conclude from your departure that I am great. But if you continue to praise me, from your very praise I shall guess  its from my impurity; for every proud-hearted man is unclean before the Lord.  And so either go away from me, and then I shall become great, or praise me and through you I shall obtain more humility. Struck with bewilderment, they immediately vanished from sight.

We need to be humble, wise and calm.

Based on St. John of the Ladder

The Divine Liturgy

Experiencing the grace of God is the beginning of an internal apocalypse. The very first revelation which one encounters is inexpressible joy, peace, love, serenity and a sure feeling of fulfillment.  Sometimes, as His grace grows, this internal spiritual light encourages the one who bears it to express his new-found joy and gratitude not only internally but also externally.  This is a truly impressive spectacle for those who have yet to experience this sweet mystery.

The aim of our hierarchy is to make us as much like God as possible and to unite us to Him. But Scripture teaches us that we will only attain this through the most loving observance of the commandments and the performance of divine services.

Based on St. Dionysios the Areopagite