Saturday June 2/15 ns 2024 • St. Nicephóros the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople; Holy New Martyr John of Suceava • From the Desert Fathers - Heaven and Hell (The Monk and the Soldier)

Saint Nicephóros the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople

Holy New Martyr John of Suceava

Nicephóros was a nobleman of Constantinople. His father Theodore, a high-ranking official of the imperial court, was wealthy and pious. Nicephóros served at the court for several years in the same profession as his father. Seeing all the vanity of the world, he withdrew to the shores of the Bosphorus and founded a monastery. The monastery was quickly filled with monks and he governed it but was not willing to receive the monastic tonsure under the pretext that he was not worthy, even though, in all things he served as a model to all. Before that, he participated in the Seventh Ecumenical Council [Nicea, 783 A.D.] as a layman at the wishes of the emperor and the patriarch and the Council benefited greatly by his superior knowledge of Sacred Scripture.

When Patriarch Tarasios died, Nicephóros was elected patriarch against his will. Immediately following his election in the year 806 A.D., he received the monastic tonsure and in succession all other ecclesiastical ranks. He was enthroned as patriarch in the Church of the Divine Wisdom of God [Hagia Sophia]. This took place during the reign of Emperor Nicephóros who immediately, after that, went to war against the Bulgarians and was slain. His son, Stauracius, reigned only two months and died. After him, the good Emperor Michael, surnamed Rangabe, ruled but he reigned for only two years until he was overthrown by Leo the Armenian and banished into exile. When Leo was crowned, the patriarch sent him a book of the Orthodox Confession of Faith to sign (according to the custom of all Byzantine emperors which was considered an oath that they will uphold and defend the True Faith). The emperor did not sign it but rather postponed it until after the coronation. When the patriarch crowned him, Leo refused to sign the book and quickly proved himself to be a heretic; an iconoclast. The patriarch attempted to advise him and to restore him to the True Faith, but in vain. The emperor forcibly banished Nicephóros into exile to the island of Proconnesus where he remained for thirteen years enduring every kind of misery and privation and entered eternity in the year 827 A.D. As patriarch he governed the Church of Christ for nine years.

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Acts 20:7-12 KJV

7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

Saint John 14:10-21 KJV

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Heaven and Hell

The Monk and the Soldier

From the Desert Fathers

A Roman soldier came to an Egyptian hermit:
— Is there a hell? Is there a paradise? If yes, where are their gates? How can I enter the paradise?

That man was a foot soldier. Soldiers are always simple-minded and clear-thinking. All he knew was life and death. He did not indulge in philosophy: all he wanted to know is where to go to avoid the hell and to get into the paradise.

—Who are you? — the monk asked.

— I’m a Roman soldier, — the soldier replied. — It’s an honor to be a soldier in the Roman army. Only a perfect warrior deserves this position. Even the Emperor pays homage to us.

The monk laughed:

— Are you really a soldier? You look like a wretched beggar!

These words offended the soldier to such an extent that he forgot why he had come to the hermit. In pride he drew out his sword in anger and was about to kill the monk. 

The monk laughed:
— That’s the Gate of Hell. You will open it with your sword by being angry and proud.

It was an example that the soldier could comprehend.
He was ashamed and put his sword back into his sheath… and the monk continued:

— And that is where the Gate of Paradise is.