Thursday December 8 / 21 ns 2023 • St. Patápios; Holy Apostles Sosthénes et al., of the Seventy; St. Parthénios of Chios ~ Fish, wine and olive oil are permitted

"ORTHODOX" CHRISTIAN:

You know that on at least two occasions our Lord said: 

Go and sin no more

Should we not repeat this to ourselves each time we repent and confess through the priest, yes, every time. As His Precious Body and Blood touches our lips do we hear His command or do we act like His word has no place in us? Later, when again tempted, Satan laughingly whispers:  You can confess it again.  He will forgive you. And you can take Communion again, no problem.

Yes, our Lord always forgives true repentance but we will come face to face one day. Do we want to hear Him say: Yes, I forgave you but did you stop as I told you?  Each time you confessed to the priest did you hear my voice telling you not to do it again?  

We WON"T want to hear it!

Do not forget, the Judge will come when we least expect Him.

RELICS OF SAINT PATAPIOS

PATÁPIOS was born and brought up in the Faith and in the fear of God by pious parents in the Egyptian city of Thebes. At an early age he perceived and abhorred the vanity of this world and withdrew into the wilderness of Egypt. There he devoted himself to a life of asceticism, cleansing his heart of all earthly desires and thoughts, for the sake of God's love. However, when his virtues became known among the people, they began to come to him and to seek solace from him in their sufferings. Fearing the praise of men, which darkens the minds of men and separates them from God, Patapios fled this wilderness to Constantinople, for this wonderful saint thought that he could hide himself more easily from people in the city than in the wilderness. Patapios built a hut for himself in the proximity of the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople. There, immured and unknown, he continued his interrupted life of eremitical asceticism. However, a light cannot be hidden.

A child, blind from birth, was led by God's providence to St. Patapios. He besought the saint to pray to God that he be given his sight and be able to look upon God's creation-thus allowing him to praise God all the more. Patapios having compassion on the suffering child, prayed to God, and the child's sight was restored. This miracle revealed God's chosen one throughout the entire city, and people rushed to him for healing, comfort and instruction. Patapios healed an eminent man of dropsy by tracing the sign of the Cross over him and anointing him with oil. By making the sign of the Cross in the air with his hand, he freed a youth from an unclean spirit that had cruelly tormented him. The evil spirit, with a loud shriek, came out from God's creature like smoke. He made the sign of the Cross over a woman who had a sore on her breast all filled with worms, and made her healthy. Many other miracles did St. Patapios perform, all through prayer in the name of Christ and by the sign of the Cross. He entered into rest peacefully in great old age and took up his habitation in the Heavenly Kingdom in the seventh century.

Hebrews 7:1-6 KJV

7 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

Saint Luke 21:28-33 KJV

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

WHEN YOU GO TO BED

While you wait in bed for Christ to lay sleep upon you, do you confess your sins of the day, praise and glorify the Holy Trinity, the Mother of God and all the righteous ones - in your own words?