CHRIST IS RISEN! Wednesday May 23/June 5 ns 2024 ~~~~ Apodosis of Mid-Pentecost • St. Michael, Bishop of Synnáda, the Confessor ~~~~ Wine and olive oil are permitted ~~~~ Eternal Mysteries Beyond the Grave by Archimandrite Panteleimon

 

O COME LET US WORSHIP

AND FALL DOWN BEFORE

CHRIST

OUR KING AND OUR GOD

For we cannot serve God and mammon.

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Wednesday May 23/June 5 ns 2024

We commemorate

Apodosis of Mid-Pentecost

Saint Michael, Bishop of Synnáda,
the Confessor 

Michael, this holy and learned hierarch, dedicated himself to the service of Christ from early childhood. Together with St. Theophylact of Nicomedia, he lived a life of asceticism. At one time during a period of drought, these two saints, by their prayers, brought forth abundant rain on the earth. Because of his ascetical and chaste life from his early youth, he was chosen and consecrated bishop of Synnáda by Patriarch Tarásios. He participated in the Seventh Ecumenical Council [Nicaea, 783 A.D.]. At the request of the emperor, he went to Caliph Harun-al-Rashid to conduct negotiations for peace. During the reign of the nefarious Leo the Armenian, Michael was removed from his episcopal throne because of his veneration of icons and was banished into exile, where in misery and poverty and, remaining faithful to Orthodoxy, died in the year 818 A.D. and took up habitation in the kingdom of Christ the King.

Acts 13:13-24 KJV
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Saint John 6:5-14 KJV
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,

9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

from

Eternal Mysteries Beyond the Grave

Orthodox Teachings on the Existence of God,
the Immortality of the Soul,
and Life Beyond the Grave

 Archimandrite Panteleimon

Founder and first abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery

Jordanville, NY

        When we read Moses’ account of the creation of man, we see in it some very important details. At first God made man from earth, and then he blew the breath of life into man. Thereupon man became a living being (Gen 2:7). 

        If we think about these details, we see that man consists of two different parts: a material body made from the soil, and an immaterial soul created by God’s breath. Thus we undoubtedly possess immortal souls, and our future life beyond the grave is not to be doubted. 

        However, our immortality has God as its only basis. He alone possesses immortality in and of Himself and dwells in unapproachable light (1 St. Tim 6:16). All the other creatures endowed with reason—angels, archangels, all the powers of heaven, and all men both righteous and sinful—receive immortality through the will and grace of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Who says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (St. John 11:25–26).