7 Youths of Ephesus

Do you remember the story of Rip Van Winkle -the man who fell asleep and found when he awoke that some twenty years had passed? The Lives of the Saints tell us a marvelous story about the 7 YOUTHS OF EPHESUS, whose "slumber time" far exceeded Washington Irving's fictional character! They lived during the reign of the Emperor Decius in the 3rd century. Being childhood friends, it was natural for them to serve together in the army. When the Emperor paid a visit to Ephesus one day, he insisted that all citizens offer a sacrifice to the pagan Roman gods. The 7 youths refused, admitting they were followers of Christ. They were stripped of their military dignity, but allowed to go free. Decius had hoped they would "come to their senses" but instead the boys fled and hid in a cave on the outskirts of the city. When the enraged emperor discovered what had happened, he had the entrance of the cave sealed, leaving the boys to suffer an inevitable death. Miraculously, the Lord placed the 7 youths into a deep sleep, which lasted 2 centuries! When a land owner opened the cave's entrance, he was amazed to find the “sleepers,” who themselves did not realize that 200 years had passed. A container that was secretly put in the cave by a Christian guard while the cave was being sealed revealed the details of what had happened so long ago. Their awakening came at a time when a certain faction in the Church was expressing doubts about a general resurrection of the dead, maintaining that the bodies of the deceased would disintegrate and could not be united to their souls. In effect, God revealed the mystery of the resurrection of the dead and offered a glimpse of eternal life through the 7 youths. It is said that after the emperor himself came to speak to them, they laid back down and fell asleep again - this time until the 2nd Coming.

Orthodox Weekly Bulletin • • • • • • • • • Vestal, Cliffwood, New Jersey • • • • • • • • • Litho in USA

Holy Apostle James, Brother of the Lord

James is the First Bishop of Jerusalem. He is called “the Lord’s brother” because he was the son of righteous Joseph, the betrothed of the Holy Mother of God. He served as bishop of Jerusalem for thirty years. He also composed the first liturgy and wrote “The Letter of James” that is included in the New Testament. He was martyred under Nero in 62.

James is considered one of the Seventy Apostles of Christ (Luke 10:1-23) who help spread our faith. James is also known as "James the Just".

Troparion (Tone 4)
As the Lord's disciple you received the Gospel, O righteous James;
As a martyr you have unfailing courage;
As God's brother, you have boldness;
As a hierarch, you have the power to intercede.
Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion (Tone 4)
When God the Word, the Only-begotten of the Father,
Came to live among us in these last days,
He declared you, venerable James, to be the first shepherd and teacher of Jerusalem
And a faithful steward of the spiritual Mysteries.
Therefore, we all honor you, O Apostle.

The Holy Apostle Luke the Evangelist

Copyright © by St. Isaac of Syria Skete (Boscobel, Wisconsin). All Rights Reserved.

Luke is numbered among the 70 Apostles of Christ. He was born in Antioch of Syria where he practiced medicine. He is also the first iconographer. St. Luke wrote the first icon of the Most Holy Theotokos called Directress. He saw the Lord face to face in Jerusalem. Following Pentecost he became St. Paul's faithful companion and friend. He is the author of the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He later preached the gospel in Italy, Dalmatia, Macedonia, and Greece where he was hanged from an olive tree in the town of Thebes in Beothia. He is remembered by the Church on October 18.

Troparion (Tone 5)
Let us praise with sacred songs the Holy Apostle Luke,
The recorder of the Joyous Gospel of Christ,
And the scribe of the Acts of the Apostles,
For his writings are a testimony of the Church of Christ:
He is the Physician of human weaknesses and infirmities.
He heals the wounds of our souls,
And constantly intercedes for our salvation!

Kontakion (Tone 4)
You became a disciple of God the Word,
With Paul you enlightened all the world,
Casting out its darkness by composing the Holy Gospel of Christ.

Kontakion (Tone 2)
Let us praise the godly Luke:
He is the true preacher of piety,
The orator of ineffable mysteries
And the star of the Church,
For the Word who alone knows the hearts of men,
Chose him, with the wise Paul, to be a teacher of the gentiles!

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven

Dear Son,

We must strive to be known by our Lord Jesus Christ. For in Matthew 7:21-23, He teaches:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast our demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Again in Luke 6:46-49, the Lord teaches:

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against the house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

Hearing the gospel alone is not enough, for salvation is not based on hearing alone, nor on faith alone, but also on doing the things spoken by Christ.

James 2:24 says:

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Again James 2:26 says:

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

This summary of the organic relationship of faith and works shows that only God can save. We are entirely at His mercy. Lord, have mercy on us, sinners.

Love,

Dad

The Holy Martyr Longinus the Centurion Who stood at the foot of the Cross

On October 16, the Church remembers Longinus. He was the centurion in command at the crucifixion of Jesus and in the watch that guarded the tomb (Matthew 27:54). Moved by what he had seen, Longinus left the Roman army, was baptized by the apostles, and returned to his home in Cappadocia, preaching Christ. Pilate reported him to Emperor Tiberius who had him beheaded. His head was sent to Pilate as proof that he had been put to death.

The Holy Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus

Today we commemorate the holy apostle James, son of  Alphaeus, one of the twelve. He was the brother of the Apostle Matthew. He was a witness of the miracles of Jesus. Following Pentecost, he was sent to Egypt where he preached Christ and was martyred.

Troparion (Tone 3)
Holy Apostle James,
entreat the merciful God
to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.

Kontakion (Tone 2)
Let us bless James, praising him as the messenger of God,
for he filled the souls of the pious with wise dogmas.
Standing at the throne of glory before the Master,
he rejoices with all the angels unceasingly praying for us all.

The Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas

Thomas was one of the twelve apostles who would not believe in the resurrection of Jesus until he saw Him. Thomas later went to India where he founded a church. Arriving late for the Theotokos' funeral, the tomb was opened for him. It was discovered that her body was not there but had been translated to heaven. He was martyred in India.

The Orthodox Weekly Bulletin ... Vestal Cliffwood, New Jersey ... Litho in USA

Impressions of people are very difficult to change. The Apostle Thomas, for will always be remembered for having a lack of faith. His statement - UNLESS I SEE IN HIS HANDS THE PRINT OF THE NAILS, AND PUT MY FINGER INTO THE PRINT OF THE NAILS, AND PUT MY HAND IN HIS SIDE, I WILL NOT BELIEVE - will forever label him as the "doubting Thomas."
It should be noted, however, that Thomas also leaves behind a rich legacy of missionary service. After the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, tradition tells us that the Apostles cast lots to see where each of them would go to preach the Gospel. It fell upon Thomas to travel to India to spread the message of the Risen Christ. Although reluctant to embark upon such a lengthy journey, Thomas went to India, winning over a great number of converts to the Christian faith. Among his converts were two sisters, Tertiana and Mygdonia, who were married to Indian princes. The husband of Tertiana was so angered by this that he ordered Thomas to be executed. Five soldiers were sent to put him to death by running him through with their lances.
Before his death, Thomas, along with the other Apostles, were miraculously borne to Jerusalem for the funeral of the Mother of God. Arriving late, Thomas asked that the tomb of Mary be opened, so that he could pay his final respects properly. Miraculously, the body of the Theotokos was not there! The Lord had taken His Mother to His heavenly home!

Troparion of St. Thomas the Apostle (Tone 2)

Thou wast a disciple of Christ and one of the Twelve,

and by thy unbelief didst proclaim Christ's Resurrection.

By touch thou wast assured of His holy Passion,

O glorious Apostle Thomas.

Pray to Him to grant us peace and mercy

St. Romanus – Make a Joyful Sound unto the Lord

Icon by Nataliya Zharsky - The Prosopon School of Iconology

St. Romanus is considered to be one of the greatest composers of sacred hymns that the Church has ever known. He composed over 1,000 hymns in his lifetime, of which some 80 have been preserved for use in our divine services today. He is the patron saint of singers -and an inspiration for the "musically challenged" as well, for Romanus was not always the "sweet-singer" that he ultimately became.

Romanus was born in the 5th century in the Syrian town of Emesa. Although his parents were Jewish, he became a devout follower of Christ and when he moved to Constantinople, Romanus became a church sacristan in the great cathedral of Hagia Sophia. Although he wanted to assist in the reading and chanting of the services, the truth of the matter was Romanus had no musical training and little self-confidence. Once on Christmas Eve, he was given some verses to read during Matins, He read so poorly that another reader was asked to finish for him, causing him to be the object of great ridicule by the cathedral clergy, The devastated Romanus returned home, vowing never to return to church again.

That night, as Romanus was praying before the icon of the Theotokos, the Virgin appeared to him. She handed him a scroll and commanded him to eat it. By doing so, Romanus was now blessed with the ability to write hymns and to sing them clearly and beautifully, Working feverishly throughout the evening, Romanus composed his first hymn: the Kontakion for the Nativity, The next day, Romanus stood in front of the filled cathedral and angelically sang: "Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One”. St. Romanus was later ordained a deacon, continuing to share his newfound musical gifts with others.

The Protecting Veil of the Most Holy Mother of God

On October 1, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God. The Church has always glorified the most holy Mother of God as the Protectress and Defender of the Christian people, entreating, by her intercession, God's loving-kindness towards us sinners. The Mother of God's aid has been clearly shown time and time again, both to individuals and to peoples, both in peace and in war, both in monastic deserts and in crowded cities. The event that the Church commemorates and celebrates today proves this constant protection of the Christian people by the Mother of God. On October 1, 911, in the time of the Emperor Leo the Wise (or the Philosopher), there was an all-night vigil at the Blachernae church of the Mother of God in Constantinople. The church was crowded. St. Andrew the Fool for Christ was standing at the back of the church with his disciple Epiphanius. At four o'clock in the morning, the most holy Mother of God appeared above the people with a veil spread over her outstretched hands, as though to protect them with this covering. She was clad in gold-encrusted purple and shone with an unspeakable radiance, surrounded by apostles, saints, martyrs and virgins. Seeing this vision, St Andrew gestured towards it and asked Epiphanius: ‘Do you see how the Queen and Lady of all is praying for the whole world?’ Epiphanius replied: “Yes, Father; I see it and stand in dread.' As a result, this commemoration was instituted to remind us both of this event and of the Mother of God's constant protection whenever we prayerfully seek that protection, that shelter, in distress.