The surprising number of responses to the Q & A regarding St. Procla were very impressive. Thank you.
Holy Nun-Martyr Anastasía of Rome,
Sts. Abrámios and Mary
ANASTSIA was born in Rome of noble parents, and was left an orphan at the age of three. As an orphan, she was taken to a convent near Rome where the abbess was Sophia, a nun of the highest level of perfection. After seventeen years, Anastasia was well known-among the Christians as a great ascetic, and among the pagans as a rare beauty.
Probus, the pagan governor, heard of Anastasia and sent his soldiers to bring her to him. For two hours, the good Abbess Sophia counseled Anastasia how to keep the Faith, how to resist flattering deceits, and how to endure torture. Anastasia said to her:
"My heart is ready to suffer for Christ; my soul is ready to die for my Sweet Jesus.'' Brought before the governor, Anastasia openly expressed her faith in Christ the Lord, and when the governor tried to turn her away from the Faith-first by promises and then by threats-the martyr said to him: "I am ready to die for my Lord not only once, but-oh, if it were only possible-a hundred times!'' When they stripped her naked to humiliate her, she cried out to the servants: "Whip me, cut me up and tear me apart, cover my naked body with wounds and cover my shame with blood!'' She was beaten, torn and cut up. On two occasions she felt a great thirst and asked for water, and a Christian, Cyril, gave her a drink, for which he was blessed by the martyr of Christ and beheaded by the pagans.
"My heart is ready to suffer for Christ; my soul is ready to die for my Sweet Jesus.'' Brought before the governor, Anastasia openly expressed her faith in Christ the Lord, and when the governor tried to turn her away from the Faith-first by promises and then by threats-the martyr said to him: "I am ready to die for my Lord not only once, but-oh, if it were only possible-a hundred times!'' When they stripped her naked to humiliate her, she cried out to the servants: "Whip me, cut me up and tear me apart, cover my naked body with wounds and cover my shame with blood!'' She was beaten, torn and cut up. On two occasions she felt a great thirst and asked for water, and a Christian, Cyril, gave her a drink, for which he was blessed by the martyr of Christ and beheaded by the pagans.
Anastasia's breasts and tongue were severed, but an angel of God appeared and sustained her. Finally, she was beheaded outside the city. Blessed Sophia found her body and buried it honorably.
Anastasia was crowned with the wreath of martyrdom during the reign of Decius.
King James Version
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
20 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.
22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.
23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Saint Luke 11:29-33
King James Version
29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
Guidelines for Spiritual and Monastic Life
THE
ARENA
ARENA
by St. Ignaty Brianchaninov
HE who has based his life on the study of the Gospel and the practice of the commandments of the Gospel has based it on solid rock. In whatever predicament he is placed by the circumstances of life, his task is always with him. He is constantly active, constantly struggling, constantly progressing, although his activity, his struggle, and his progress are unnoticed and incomprehensible to others. Whatever troubles and trials he may encounter, they can never defeat him. The Lord said, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”
Here life and the set of the soul are compared to a house. This house acquires extraordinary stability from the infinite, divine power with which Christ’s words are charged. It is evident that the strength that the practice of Christ’s commandments wins for the soul can be won by no other means or method. Christ’s power acts in His commandments. To the words just quoted, the Lord added the following: “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Easily ruined is the seemingly good life of those who make their foundation an exclusively bodily struggle, or even a series of ascetic exercises, sometimes very difficult and remarkable, but who do not pay due attention to the commandments of the Gospel. Very often ascetics do not pay the least attention to the commandments of the Gospel, openly disregard them, and do not value them or realize their importance in the least. When such ascetics encounter unexpected trials and temptations or an unforeseen change in their life, not only is their faith soon shaken but they even run the risk of that complete moral collapse that is called in the Gospel the “great ruin” of the house of the soul.
WHO TOUCHED ME?
An explanation of St. Mark 5:30-34
by Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria
Power goes out from Christ, not traveling from one location to another, but rather imparted to others while remaining in Christ undiminished. It is the same with teachings, which remain with those who teach, and yet are imparted to those who learn. See how none of the multitude who were thronging about him touched Him, but rather she who was not thronging about Him. We learned from this a mystery that those in tumult and turmoil do not touch Christ; They only throng about Him. But he who touches Jesus is the one who does not crowd against Him and one who does not surround Him with turmoil but the Word within Himself. Why does the Lord reveal the woman first, that He might glorify the woman's faith; Secondly, to encourage the ruler of the synagogue that his little daughter will likewise be made whole and thirdly to deliver the woman from her great fear. For the woman was afraid that she had, as it were, stolen the healing. This is why the evangelist says that the woman came fearing and trembling. The Lord therefore does not say I have made the whole but rather thy faith has made the whole. Accordingly, go in peace, that is, go and be at rest. What he means is this depart be at rest since you have been until this moment in grief and turmoil.
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