Two Monks Sharing the Same Spiritual Qualities

In January, our Holy Orthodox Church honours two monastic saints who lived in different centuries and in different centuries and in different parts of the world. It is fitting to remember them together on the same day, since they both lived remarkably similar ascetic lives. PAUL of THEBES was born in Egypt during the reign of the emperor Decius. He and his sister each inherited half of their parents’ property when they died. Paul’s pagan brother-in-law threatened to reveal to the local authorities that he was a Christian if he did not give him his share of the family inheritance. Paul did so willingly – not out of fear – but rather out of conviction for following the monastic way of life. He went out to the desert and spent the rest of his life living as a hermit. Even the renowned monastic St. Anthony the Great visited him in the desert and reported back to his fellow monks at this monastery the spiritual heights that had been reached by Paul. Paul of Thebes died in 341 AD, having lived over 100 years.

JOHN the HUT-DWELLER was born into a wealthy family in Constantinople in the early 5^th century. Unimpressed with the riches of the world, he fled from home at an early age and settled in a monastery, where he stayed for six years. Tempted by the devil to return home and live a life of luxury, John left the monastery. Indeed, he went back to his parents’ house, but returned dressed as a beggar. Not recognizing their son, John’s parents gave the “beggar” permission to live in a hut on their property. For three years, he spent his time praying for his parents. When he ultimately became gravely ill, John revealed his identity to them by showing them a precious Gospel they had given him as a child – his only earthly possession. This humble saint passed into eternity in 450 AD.

St. Barbara - A Saintly Example of Purity

The great martyr Barbara lived and suffered during the reign of the Emperor Maximian in the early years of the of 4th century. Her pagan father Dioscorus was so protective of her that he placed her in a tower so that she could have no contact with anyone he considered to be unworthy. Alone in her tower, Barbara would often ponder the beauty of creation that she could study from her lofty perch. She was able to reach the conclusion that all of this was the work of the One, True God.

When Barbara became old enough to marry, her father brought her many suitors, whom she rejected one by one. Thinking she might change her mind if she was exposed to the world outside her tower, Dioscorus allowed her to leave and mingle with others. Little did he realize that many of the new people she met were Christians! Soon Barbara became one of them herself.

Upon returning from a trip, Dioscorus was furious to find that Barbara had cut a cross into one of her marble walls. When she told him that she was a Christian, he tried to kill her with his sword. Barbara was able to flee and hide on a nearby mountain, but the next day, her father captured her and took her to the local governor for execution. She willingly submitted to brutal torture and ultimately to martyrdom, understanding that this was the greatest way she could show her love for Christ. Before dying, Barbara prayed to God that everyone who would remember her in prayer should not be subjected to a sudden death and deprived of receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

She met her end by the merciless hand of her father. Divine justice prevailed though, as Dioscorus was struck down and killed that same day.

For The New Day

Dear Son,

One person thought she was too busy for prayer in the morning until a friend told her that she time her three-minute egg each morning by twice repeating the Lord’s Prayer and the 23^rd Psalm. As we shower, have or dress, we can repeat some simple prayer or Bible verse we just read, or simply abide in the Presence, longing for an even greater presence.

Evagrios, one of the desert fathers, used to say to his disciples, “May the sun, on rising, find you with a Bible in your hand.” Dr. Paul Tournier, the eminent Swiss psychiatrist writes, “One day, almost a year ago, I realized I was doing myself harm because I had begun to read the newspaper before my morning meditation, the time when God was asking me to listen to Him before listening to the world. Correcting that was simple, but it was enough to brighten again the climate of my life.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “For Christians the beginning of the day should not be burdened or oppressed with besetting concerns for the day’s work. At the threshold of the new day stands the Lord who made it. All the darkness and distraction of the dreams of the night retreat before the clean light of Jesus Christ and his wakening Word. All unrest, all impurity, all care and anxiety flee before Him.”

Love,

Dad

Saint Stylianus - "Let the little children come to me ..."

Saint Stylianus was born in Pamphlagonia in Asia Minor some time between the 4th and 6th centuries. Like many of the early saints, Stylianus inherited a great fortune when his parents died. He could have lived out his life in luxury, never wanting for anything. Instead, he chose to give everything away so that he could “take up his cross” and follow the Lord. Stylianus left the city to live in a monastery, where he zealously practiced the ascetic virtues. When the other monks became jealous of his pious life, Stylianus left the community and went to live in a wilderness cave, constantly spending his days in prayer and fasting.
Word soon spread of the exemplary life that Stylianus was living. Many inhabitants of his home town of Pamphlagonia would conme to hear his teachings and seek his wise counsel. It is said that his healing prayers were powerful, and many people were cured of their illnesses through his prayers.

St. Stylianus was known to care strongly for children. It seemed that his healing prayers were most successful when sickly children were brought to him. When St. Stylianus died, his face shone radiantly, and an angel appeared to take his soul to heaven. Even after his death, many parents continued to pray to him to intercede on behalf of their little ones. When a child became ill, it was quite common for parents to have an icon of St. Stylianus painted and hung over the child’s bed.

St. Stylianus is remembered as a protector of children and a patron saint of childless women. This is the reason he is depicted holding a child.

St. John Chrysostom (the Golden-Tongued), Patriarch of Constantinople

He was born in Antioch in the year 347, his father’s name being Secundus and his mother’s Anthusa. Studying Greek philosophy, John became disgusted with Hellenic paganism and turned to the Christian faith as the one and all-embracing truth. John was baptised by Meletius , Patriarch of Antioch, and after that, his parents were also baptised. After their death, John became a monk and began to live in strict asceticism. He wrote a book: “On the Priesthood”, after which the holy Apostle John and Peter appeared to him, prophesying for him great service, great grace, and also great suffering. When the time came for him to be ordained priest, an angel of God appeared at the same time to Patriarch Flavian (Meletius’s successor) and to John himself. When the Patriarch ordained him, a shining white dove was seen above John’s head. Renowned for his wisdom, his asceticism and the power of his words, John was, at the desire of Emperor Arcadius, chosen as Patriarch of Constantinople. He governed the Church for six years as Patriarch with unequalled zeal and wisdom, sending missionaries to the pagan Celts and Scythians and purging the Church of simony, deposing many bishops who were given to this vice. He extended the Church’s charitable works, wrote a rite for the Holy Liturgy, put heretics to shame, denounced the Empress Eudoxia, interpreted the Scriptures with his golden mind and tongue and left to the Church many precious books of sermons. The people glorified him; the jealous loathed him; the Empress twice had him sent into exile. He spent three years in exile, and died on Holy Cross Day. September 14th, 407, in a place called Comana in Armenia. The holy Apostle John and Peter again appeared to him at the time of his death, and also the holy martyr Basilisius (May 22nd), in whose church he received Communion for the last time. “Glory to God for everything!” were his last words, and with them the soul of Chrysostom the Patriarch entered into Paradise. Of his relics, the head is preserved in the Church of the Dormition in Moscow, and the body in the Vatican in Rome.

St.Sergius

Dear Son,
A saint is not remarkable on the surface. All his riches are internal, in his soul. A peasant came a long way to the monastery to see St. Sergius. When he asked for the abbot, he was told that he was working in the garden. The peasant went off to the garden and saw a man there in poor and dirty clothing, hoeing along with the other workers. The peasant returned to the monastery dissatisfied, thinking within himself that the monks were making fun of him, and repeated, that there might be no mistake, that he wanted to see the famous holy father, Sergius. Sergius arrived back at the monastery just then, and welcomed the peasant, serving him at the table. The saint looked into the heart of his guest, and saw there the thoughts about himself. To quieten him, he told him that he would see St. Sergius if he waited a little. Just then, a prince arrived at the monastery with his nobles. Both the prince and the nobles bowed low to Sergius and asked his blessing. The monks then removed the peasant from the room to make room for the new guests, and this peasant looked with wonder from afar, and peered to see whom he had spurned the sight of one from nearby. He chided himself for his ignorance and was deeply ashamed. When the prince had departed, the peasant quickly went up to the saint, fell at his feet and asked his forgiveness. And the great saint was gentle with him, and said: “Don’t grieve, my son; you thought a true thing of me, reckoning me as nothing, while others are deluded in thinking me something great.”

Love always,
Dad

Theotokos

The word Theotokos for “Mother of God” expresses the faith of all the Fathers and faithful Christians throughout the ages concerning Christ’s divinity. There is no room for error here. It was none other than the Second Person of the Holy Trinity who was born of the Virgin. Theotokos: Mother of God.
The identity of Christ is still being questioned today. That is why some bristle when they hear the word Theotokos. How can Mary be the Mother of God? They ask. Was the eternal, always existing God born of a human being? Yes, the Church answers. Mary did not give birth to two persons but to one divine Person who received His humanity from Mary. She is indeed not Christotokos, Mother of a human being named Christ, but Theotokos, Mother of God.

Theotokos is a treasured word for Orthodox Christians – a word that perfectly expresses ad safeguards our faith that the true God became true man for our salvation. Theotokos is a title given to Mary not in order to exalt her but in order to protect the identity of her son and to guard and protect the security of our salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Source: Daily Vitamins for Spiritual Growth Volume 1, by Anthony Coniaris