TODAY WE COMMEMORATE
Holy Martyrs Próbus, Tárachos, and Andrónicos;
St. Symeon the New Theologian
Fast Day
These martyrs were beaten with rods, then were cast into prison bloodied and wounded. After this, they were brought out again for torture. When the proconsul advised Próbus to deny Christ, promising him imperial honors and his own friendship, holy Próbus replied: ''Neither the emperor's honors do I desire, nor your friendship do I wish.'' When Andrónicos was threatened with even greater bodily tortures, the young martyr of Christ replied: ''My body is before you, do with it what you will.''
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:
22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Saint Luke 9:12-18 KJV
12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
CRUCIFYING ONESELF
by Saint Symeon the New Theologian
Brethren, by crucifying oneself to the world and the world to oneself (Gal, 6:14) our souls die before death and rise again before the Resurrection of the body in deed, in experience, and in Truth. When the mortal attitude has been eliminated by the immortal mind and mortality has been driven out by Life, then, as though it had risen from the dead, the soul manifestly sees itself, just as those who rise from sleep see themselves. It recognizes God Who has raised it; as it perceives Him it Him thanks and worships Him and glorifies His infinite goodness. On the other hand, the body is entirely without breath, motion and memory in relation to its own desires, but in these respects becomes altogether dead and lifeless.
DISCOURCES
by Saint Neilos the Ascetic (430)
So we no longer pursue plainness and simplicity of life. We no longer value stillness, which helps to free us from past defilement, but prefer a whole host of things which distract us uselessly from our true goal. Rivalry over material possessions has made us forget the counsel of the Lord, who urged us to take no thought for earthly things, but to seek only the kingdom of heaven (St. Matt. 6:33). Deliberately doing the opposite, we have disregarded the Lord's commandment, trusting in ourselves and not in His protection. For He says: 'Behold the fowls of the air: for they do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them' (St. Matt. 6:26); and again: 'Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil or spin' (St. Matt. 6:28). When He sent the apostles out to declare the good news to their fellow men. He even forbade them to carry wallet, purse or staff, and told them to be content with His promise: 'The workman is worthy of his food' (St. Matt. 10:10). This promise is to be trusted far more than our own resources.
Despite all this we go on accumulating as much land as we can, and we buy up flocks of sheep, fine oxen and fat donkeys - the sheep to supply us with wool, the oxen to plough and provide food for us and fodder for themselves and for the other animals, the donkeys to transport from foreign lands the goods and luxuries which our own country lacks. We also select the crafts which give the highest return, even though they absorb all our attention and leave no time for the remembrance of God. It is as if we accused God of being incapable of providing for us, or ourselves of being unable to fulfill the commitments of our calling. Even if we do not admit this, openly, our actions condemn us; for we show approval of the ways of worldly men by engaging in the same pursuits, and perhaps working at them even harder than they do.
Very sobering words by Saint Neilos the Ascetic..
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