HOLY APOSTLES' FAST
Friday
June 22/July 5 ns 2024
(Fast Day)
Holy Hieromartyr Evsébios,
Bishop of Samosáta
St. Alban, Protomartyr
of Britain
Evsébios was great in exposing Arianism. When the throne of Antioch became vacant, Meletius was elected patriarch at the insistence of Evsébios. Meletius was a great beacon of the Church who, after his death, was found worthy of great praise by St. John Chrysostomos. However, the Arians quickly banished Meletius from Antioch. When Constantine's pernicious son Constantius died another much worse than he was crowned, Julian the Apostate. During the time of Julian's persecution of Christians, St. Evsébios removed his clerical attire and donned a soldier's uniform so that, under the guise of a soldier, he visited the persecuted Church throughout Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine strengthening the Orthodox Faith everywhere and installing the necessary priests and deacons and other clergy and, in some places, bishops.
Following the stormy death of Julian, St. Evsébios counseled Meletius to convene a Council in Antioch in 361 A.D. at which twenty-seven hierarchs were present and the Arian heresy was condemned once more and the Faith of Orthodoxy was proclaimed in the same manner as it was expressed at the First Ecumenical Council [Nicaea 325 A.D]. Along with Meletius and Evsébios, St. Pelagius of Laodicea the famous ascetic and chaste one, made a great impact at the Council of Antioch. This Council was held during the reign of the pious Emperor Jovian. However, Emperor Jovian soon died and the wicked Valens was crowned and again the persecution of Orthodoxy ensued. St. Meletius was exiled to Armenia, Evsébios exiled to Thrace and Pelagius exiled to Arabia. After Valens, Gratian was crowned emperor and it was he who granted freedom to the Church and recalled the exiled hierarchs to their former sees. Thus, they returned: Meletius to Antioch, Evsébios to Samosata and Pelagius to Laodicea. At this time, many dioceses and many parishes were widowed and Evsébios zealously hurried to find and to give to the people canonical shepherds. When he came to the town of Doliche to enthrone the newly elected bishop Marinus and to denounce the heresy of Arius, which was strong in this town, a fanatical heretic hurled a ceramic tile at Evsébios' head and mortally wounded him. This great zealot, saint and martyr of Orthodoxy died to live eternally in the blessedness of Paradise. He suffered in the year 379 A.D.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Saint Matthew 9:14-17 KJV
14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
The Field
Cultivating Salvation
On Reading the Holy Gospels
by Saint Ignaty Brianchaninov
When you open the Gospel to read it, remember that it will determine your eternal fate. We will be judged by it, and depending on how we lived in accordance to it, we will receive either eternal blessedness or eternal punishment.
God revealed His will to a worthless speck of dust—man! The book that divulges this great and all-holy Will is in your hands. You can choose to either accept or reject the will of your Creator and Redeemer. Your eternal life or eternal death is in your hands. Consider how careful and wise you must be. Do not gamble with your eternal fate.
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| Zambia A young man made a slave by men. A chain for clothes and a chain for shoes ~ Father Forgive Us ~  An animal may eat a man or a woman but it would never make either of them a slave T H E P A R A G O N WHAT IS THE PARAGON? It is a Signpost WHAT DOES THE SIGNPOST SAY? It says: "This way to the Kingdom of Heaven. IS THAT ALL IT SAYS? No, it gives the soul detailed directions of navigation on how to get there. AND WHAT ARE THEY? Read the PARAGON and find out! Until you do so, know that it points the way through the Epistles, Prophecies and Gospels which are taken from the Holy Bible. It provides accounts of the lives and deeds of those who, in obedience and love of God and for their salvation, by breath or by blood, renounced this temporal life in exchange for Eternal Life in Paradise. It also offers detailed methods of navigation provided by God Himself freely given directly to the tongues and pens of His authentic followers. I OFTEN DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HOLY EPISTLES AND GOSPELS If you believe God, then you know He is omniscient and therefore trust Him. The Holy Trinity knew we would disfigure His image in us, our intellect and so on, before He created us, hence He instructs the soul directly according to its needs required for salvation and when we reject the Author of disfigurement from our hearts and minds, then our entire being awakens. And when the awakened one follows Christ with genuine love and sincere desire for healing, it is enlightened and is brought totally out of the darkness of disfigurement into the Light of God. Reflect, contemplate and know who He is speaking to when He makes the command: "Physician, heal thyself" Isn't the voice the small Christ within us, warming our hearts?  |
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