Sts. Alexander, John, and Paul
of Constantinople;
St. Bryaínne
Saint Alexander (icon), John and Paul, Patriarchs of Constantinople, lived at different times, but each of them happened to clash with the activities of heretics who sought to distort the teachings of the Church. Saint Alexander (325-340) was a vicar bishop during the time of Saint Metrophánes (June 4), the first Patriarch of Constantinople.
Because of the patriarch’s extreme age, Alexander substituted for him at the First Ecumenical Synod at Nicaea (325). Upon his death, Saint Metrophánes left instructions in his will to elect his vicar to the throne of Constantinople. During these times His Holiness Patriarch Alexander had to contend with the Arians and with pagans. Once, in a dispute with a pagan philosopher the saint said to him, “In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ I command you to be quiet!” and the pagan suddenly became mute. When he gestured with signs to acknowledge his errors and affirm the correctness of the Christian teaching, then his speech returned to him and he believed in Christ together with many other pagan philosophers. The faithful rejoiced at this, glorifying God Who had given such power to His saint.
2 Corinthians 7:1-10 KJV
7 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.
8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Saint Mark 1:29-35
29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
33 And all the city was gathered together at the door.
34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
GREAT FEAST DAY
THE ELEVATION OF THE PRECIOUS CROSS
MYSTIC TREATISES
{Why God withholds His help}by Saint Isaac the Syrian
God does not need anything; only He rejoices when anyone satisfies or honors His image for His sake. When anyone asks of thee, do not say in thy heart: I will keep it for myself in order to have more comfort by it and I will let him pass quickly; God will provide for him from another source; I will bestow it upon myself. Do not speak thus. For in this way think iniquitous men. People who do not know God, deliberate in such way, fostering such thoughts. But a righteous man does not let slip the opportunity for bounty from God. God abandons no one. But thou art willing immediately to leave God's honor and to throw His bounty from thee. On the other hand rejoice if you possess and give, saying: Glory to thee, O God, Who hast granted unto me that I find someone to comfort. And if you are without possessions, rejoice the more, thanking God with many thanksgivings, saying : I thank thee, o God, who hast granted me the honor of becoming poor for Thy sake, and who hast deemed me worthy to taste sufferings enjoined in Thy commandments, namely illnesses and poverty such as the saints have tasted, who have gone this way. And if thou art ill, say: Blessed are those who find in the things which God sends us for our profit, the aim for which God has destined them. God sends sickness for the sake of the health of the soul.
One of the saints once said: The following I have taken as a sign. When a solitary does not serve God in the right way, and is not zealous in His works, God certainly will send him a temptation to occupy his thoughts, lest he be wholly idle and, by complete idleness, his mind turn aside to thinking of the left hand. But if he is not willing to think of excellence, the influence of the temptations will cause him to think of it and not to think of idle things. This God does with every man who loves Him. When He sees that he begins to disdain His works, he sends a heavy sorrow in order to make him wise and to chastise him. Therefore, when such people call to Him, He does not pay attention, nor does He hasten to free them, till they have become weary and know that they have to bear these things on account of their neglect. 'When ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear'. Even if this was said to others, still it is certainly applicable to those who leave the Way.
But if God is so compassionate, why do we then so frequently knock at His door in trouble and pray, and yet He turns away from our prayer? He says: Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.
Remember the Lord at all times (Thessalonians 5:17), then He will remember thee when evil approaches unto thee. He has made thy nature a receptacle of accident. And in the world where He has created and left thee He has made frequent the causes of accidents and temptations. He has made thy nature a small receptacle of these things. Evil things are not far from thee, neither are they a few in number. For they rise from within thee when He gives a sign, and from under thy feet and from the place where thou art standing. But like one eyelid is near the other, so temptations are near the children of men. With wisdom God has provided these things for thee in this way, for thy profit, that thou mayest continually knock at His door and that, for fear of sorrowful events, the thought of Him may constantly recur to thy mind and thou be near to God in constant prayer and sanctified by constant thought of Him in thy heart. And when thou callest unto Him and He answers thee, thou wilt know that thy savior is God. And thou wilt perceive thy God who has created thee and is thy provider and preserver, therein that He has made in thy behalf two worlds. One for thy instruction, as it were a school for a short time; and another one, a paternal home and thy abode for ever and ever.
I think the Venerable Baptist knew the Truth would cost him when he presented it to Herod. I haven't read anywhere that he knew that it would be his head but again, I think he expected some kind of repercussion. Moreover, consider a mind willing to give half of its kingdom for a dance from Salome. Half the kingdom?? For a dance! In addition, yet another mind that prefers the death of an individual rather than a free kingdom?
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