Wednesday Dece,ber 14/27 ns 2023 • Holy Martyrs Thyrsos, Lévkios, & Callínicos; Holy Martyrs Philémon, Apollónios, Arrianós, et al.~ Fast Day

When you had thoughts you knew would displease our Savior, did you immediately say:  Get thee behind me Satan?

For those of you who reflect and contemplate as you read, then reflect and contemplate, as you read from St John below!   

Saint John 15:5 KJV

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me,
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The Holy Martyrs Thyrsos and Lévkios were honorable citizens of Caesarea of Bithynia, the former being baptized and the latter being a Christian catechumen. Callínicos, however, was a pagan priest. When Emperor Decius's heir, Cumbricius, began to mercilessly torture and murder Christians, the fearless Lévkios appeared before him and, reproaching him, said: "Why have you waged war against your own soul, O Cumbricius?'' The enraged judge ordered that he be flogged, tortured and finally beheaded. The tortured Lévkios went to his beheading as joyfully as if he were going to a wedding. 

Witnessing the death of the courageous Lévkios, blessed Thyrsos, inflamed with divine zeal like that of Lévkios, also appeared before the judge and reproached him for his evil crimes and for his unbelief in the One True God. He also was flogged and cast into prison. The invisible hand of God healed him of his wounds, opened the prison door and led him out. Thyrsos immediately went to Phileas, the Bishop of Caesarea, to be baptized by him. After his baptism, he was again seized and tortured, but he endured the tortures, bearing them as though in a dream and not in reality. By the power of his prayer, many idols fell down. The pagan priest Callinicos, upon seeing this, converted to the Christian Faith, and both he and Thyrsos were condemned to death. Callinicos was beheaded, and they placed Thyrsos in a wooden coffin to be sawn in half. However, the power of God would not permit this, and the saw was unable to cut into the wood. Then St. Thyrsos arose from the coffin and prayed to God, rendering Him thanks for the tortures, and he peacefully gave up his soul to his Lord. 

At the end of the fourth century, the Emperor Flavian built a church to St. Thyrsos near Constantinople and placed his holy relics in it. The saint appeared in a vision to Empress Pulcheria and counseled her to bury the relics of the Forty Martyrs alongside his.

Hebrews 10:1-18 KJV

10 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

15 Whereof the Holy Spirit also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Saint Mark 8:30-34 KJV

30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

 

If you do not see what someone eats, can you tell if he or she is fasting?

Yes. Fasting makes us contrite and still, we become lowly and we react to offence and anger slowly. Fasting has nothing to do with food but with what one fills the belly of the heart and mind. St John Chrysostomos tells us that those who fast from food but bite their brothers aren’t fasting at all. What is more pleasing to God, one who eats but expresses affection and suffers others, allowing others to see Christ, or one whose belly is empty of food but from it churns out offences created by the most evil of fasters, Satan?

Everyone should be so filled with the joy of the Nativity that it is difficult not to be pleasing and happy with others even if they should lose control occasionally and speak or act in an offensive way. 

The hymns and prayers given us by the Church at this time (if you listen to them) contain a double portion of grace, grace that you should be experiencing. Yes, experiencing, not simply aware of!! Grumbling, attacking others, foul dispositions, etc. have no part in fasting. They have no part in Christ. He never acted in that way to anyone. Do not forget, it wasn’t simply because He is God but that He lived on earth as a man, and was tempted as a man, like you and me. Consider your attitude while enjoying something very pleasurable how agreeable, generous and patient you are with others. Know what I mean? Isn’t it harder to get angry and isn’t it easier to be agreeable when you are having a good time? If you don’t feel this way during the Nativity Fast, you are not participating in the fast because patience, kindness, gentleness, longsuffering, good cheer and affection are characteristics freely given by the fast itself and expressed by one who truly fasts.

True Fasters

Sts John and Philaret