St.Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem

Cyril was born in Jerusalem during the reign of Constantine the Great and died during the reign of Theodosius the Great (315-386). He was ordained a priest in 346 and succeeded to the throne of Blessed Maximus, Patriarch of Jerusalem in 350. On three occasions he was dethroned and sent into exile. Finally during the reign of Theodosius, he returned but was not reinstated. He lived peacefully for eight years and then gave up his soul to the Lord. He underwent two difficult struggles: one against the Arians who became powerful under Constantius, the son of Constantine, and the other during the reign of Julian the Apostate, against this traitor and the Jews. During a period of Arian domination, on the day of Pentecost, the sign of the Cross, brighter than the sun, stretched over Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, lasting for several hours beginning at nine o’clock in the morning. This phenomenon, seen by all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, was reported in writing to Emperor Constantius, and served greatly in establishing Orthodoxy over the heretics. During the time of the Apostate, still another sign occurred. In order to humiliate the Christians, Julian persuaded the Jews to restore the Temple of Solomon. Cyril prayed to God to prevent this. There was a terrible earthquake, which destroyed all that had been newly built. Then the Jews began restoration anew. Again there was an earthquake, which not only destroyed the newly constructed portion but also overturned and scattered the old stones beneath the ground that supported the Temple. And so the words of the Lord came true: There shall not be left one stone upon another; that shall not be thrown down (Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6). Among the many writing of this Holy Father is his Catechetical Discourses, a first-class work preserved to the present, which confirms the Faith and practice of Orthodoxy. This saint was a unique archpastor and a great ascetic. He was meek, humble, exhausted from fasting, and pale in complexion. After a life of many labours and noble struggles for the Orthodox Faith, Cyril peacefully reposed and took up his habitation in the eternal court of the Lord.

This is the Faith of the Fathers…

In the history of the “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church: which existed until the Great Schism in 1054 AD, there were 7 occasions when the hierarchs of the Church deemed it necessary to convene what is now referred to as an “ECUMENICAL COUNCIL.” By and large, these gatherings were called to order to deal with important theological matter that posed threats to its unity and well-being.

The seventh and final Ecumenical Council was convened in the year 787 AD during the reign of the Empress Irene. Patriarch Tarasius occupied the Ecumenical Throne inConstantinopleat the time. Some 350 bishops gathered in the city ofNiceato deal with an extremely volatile question: Was it proper to pray before and to venerate icons?

For centuries, sacred images of Christ, His Blessed Mother and the Saints adorned churches everywhere. In 726 AD. However, a faction in the Church called “iconoclasts,” felt that paying homage to icons was a form of idolatry, and in direct conflict with the second Commandment:” Thou shall not make unto thyself any graven image.” With the blessing of Emperor Leo III, icons were often forcibly removed from their place of prominence in churches and destroyed. When the 7th Ecumenical Council met, it was St. John of Damascus who made a passionate plea in defense of the use of icons: “Concerning the charge of idolatry, icons are not idols, but symbols. Therefore, when a Christian venerates an icon, he is not worshipping the symbol, but merely venerating it. Such veneration is not directed towards wood, paint or stone, but towards the person depicted. Therefore, relative honor is shown to material matter.” I do not worship matter, but the Creator of matter.” The words of St. John of Damascus touched the hearts of the other Church Fathers. The Council decreed that the veneration of icons was not idolatry.

Learning about God

Dear Son,
Have you noticed how obsessed we have become in doing things quickly? We have express lines in supermarkets, express lanes at toll booths – you can even find restaurants with express buffets! From morning to night, we find ourselves rushing around, constantly checking our watches so that we aren’t late for our next appointment. It has rightly been said that we are all in a hurry to get nowhere!
There is one area of our lives, however, where our pace needs to slow down a bit, and that is in the practicing of our Faith. Practicing our Faith properly takes time. We cannot rush through our morning and evening prayers and expect to derive any benefit from them. There is no “Reader’s Digest” version of the Divine Liturgy and other liturgical services of our Holy Orthodox Church. Their lengthy and often repetitious hymns have been so constructed to enable us to “lay aside all earthly cares” and to transport us to a timeless place.

Nowhere is this need to “take our time” spiritually more important than when we read the Sacred Scriptures. The Bible is not a book that lends well to “speed reading!” Its holy books were written centuries ago, and they reflect the culture and values of another era. In studying the Word of God, it is imperative that we take care that we digest every verse so that we fully understand its intended message. In Psalm 119:15, it is written: “I will meditate on Your precepts and contemplate Your ways.” What a perfect way to experience the Scriptures: slowly and deliberately.

It’s probably too late for us to quit “living life in the fast lane.” But it is NOT too late for us to “drive in the slow lane” as we travel the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Love,
Dad

Deeds of Love Count A Lot

Dear Son,
Although the Holy Fathers praised monasticism as the angelic state, and although many of the greatest saints lived their lives and attained perfection in the soundless and lifeless desert, nevertheless, the Orthodox Church does not recommend the tonsure to all the faithful. “Neither were all those in the desert saved nor were all those in the world lost,” said one saint. To a city dweller who, with no inclination for monasticism, desired to enter the monastery, St. Niphon said: “My child, a place neither saves nor destroys a man, but deeds save or destroy. For him who does not fulfill all the commandments of the Lord, there is no benefit from a sacred place or from a sacred rank. King Saul lived in the midst of royal luxury and he perished. King David lived in the same kind of luxury and he received a wreath. Lot lived among the lawless Sodomites and he was saved. Judas was numbered among the apostles and he went to Hades. Whoever says that it is impossible to be saved with a wife and children deceives himself. Abraham had a wife and children, 318 servants and handmaidens and much gold and silver, nevertheless, he was called the Friend of God. How many aristocrats and soldiers! How many artisans and field-workers! Be pious and be a lover of men, and you will be saved!”

Love,
Dad

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