Rejoice,
thou who makest manifest the life of the Angels
H O L Y
A P O S T L E S'
F A S T
The Holy Virgin Martyr Aquilina
Aquilina was 12 years old when she suffered for the Lord and crowned with the martyr's wreath in the year 293 A.D.
When Diocletian's persecution began, someone accused Aquilina before Volusian, the imperial deputy, who was more like a beast than a man. To begin with, Volusian ordered that Aquilina be flogged and after that, a red hot rod be pierced through her ears and brain. Until the last moment, the virgin Aquilina freely and openly confessed Christ the Lord and when her brain and blood began to flow from her head, she fell as though dead. The deputy, thinking Aquilina was indeed dead, ordered her body to be carried outside the city and thrown upon a dung heap for the dogs to consume. But, an angel of God appeared to her at night and said to her: "Arise, and be whole!" And the virgin arose and was whole and for a long time she offered up praise of thanksgiving to God imploring Him not to deprive her to fulfill her martyr's mortification. A voice from heaven was heard: "Go, it will be to you as you pray" and Aquilina set out for the town. The gates of the town opened on their own accord before her and she entered like a spirit into the palace of the deputy and appeared before his bed. The deputy was seized with unspeakable fear, seeing the virgin alive whom he thought was dead.
The following day, according to command, the executioners led Aquilina out to behead her. Before her beheading, the virgin Aquilina prayed to God on her knees and gave up her soul. The executioner beheaded her lifeless head. Her relics gave healing to many of the sick.
Romans 11:25-36 KJV
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Saint Matthew 12:1-8 KJV
12 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him;
4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Discourses
On the Benefit of Consultation
by Saint Dorotheos of Gaza
It is written in the book of Proverbs that, "Those who have no guidance fall like leaves, but there is security in much counsel."
Look closely at this saying, brothers. See what scripture is teaching us. It asserts that we should not set ourselves up as guide posts, and that we should not suppose that we are wise, and that we should not trust in our own ability to direct ourselves. We need help and guidance, in addition to the grace of God.
No one is more miserable, no one is more easily caught unprepared, than a man who has no one to direct him on the road to God. It states, "Those who have no guidance fall like leaves." Leaves are perpetually green at the start, they grow well and are pleasing to behold. Then after a time they dry up and fall off, and finally they are blown about by the wind and trampled under foot. So it is with the man who is not directed by someone. At first he has great zeal about fasting, maintaining vigils, being silent, and obedient and keeping other good habits. Then after a time the fire is quenched and not having anyone to direct him and strengthen him and kindle his fire, he shrivels up and so, by being disobedient, he fails and finally ends up as a mere tool for his enemies, who do whatever they want with him.
About those who make a report about what bothers their inner life, and who do everything with counsel, it states, "There is security in much counsel." When it says, "much counsel" it does not mean taking counsel from everyone but clearly from someone with whom he has complete confidence.
And he should not be quiet about certain things and speak about others, but he should speak about everything and receive counsel concerning everything. To a man doing this regularly, there is indeed security in much counsel. However if a man does not reveal everything about himself, especially if he has turned back from evil habits and a bad upbringing, and if the devil discovers in him one small bit of self-will or self-righteousness, he will throw him down by that. Because when the devil sees a man who earnestly does not want to sin, he is not so stupid as to suggest to him, like he would with a hardened sinner, that he should go and fornicate or steal. He understands that we do not want to do these things and he does not set out to suggest to us something we do not want to hear. Rather he probes that small bit of self-will or self-righteousness and by that, with the appearance of doing well, he will harm us. So again it is said, "An evil man does evil when he mixes it with righteousness." The "evil man" is the devil and he does evil when he mixes it with righteousness, i.e. our self-righteousness, because then he is mighty, and then he can do more harm; then he can act more freely.
Because when we are lords of our own business and we stand in our own righteousness, as if we are doing great things, we are providing for ourselves counsel, and we do not know how it is we are brought to ruin. Because how can we fully know the will of God or find it if we trust only in ourselves and take hold of our own will?
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