St Athanasius of Serpukhov
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.
PRAYER FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY
O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace, help me in all things to rely upon Your Holy Will. In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to be throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that Your Will governs all. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray. And, Yourself, pray in me. Amen.
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TODAY'S SYNAXARION:
On September 12th Our Holy Orthodox Christian Church commemorates, honors, and entreats the holy intercessions of the following Saints, Forefathers, Fathers, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists, Martyrs, Confessors, Ascetics, Teachers and every righteous spirit made perfect in Our Holy Orthodox Christian faith: Saint Coronatus, Bishop of Iconium; Saint Aftonomos, Bishop in Italy; Saint Julian of Galatia, and 40 Holy Martyrs with him; Saints Macedonius in Phrygia, and with him Tatian and Theodulos; Saint Daniel of Thassos; Holy Martyr Okeanos, Bishop of Lyons in Gaul; Saint Dositheos of Tbilisi, Georgia; Saint Bassian of Tiksna; Saint Theodore, Archbishop of Alexandria; Saint Athanasius, disciple of St. Sergius of Rodonezh, and his disciple Athanasios; Translation (Anikomede) of the holy relics of St. Symeon of Verkhotyrye.
VENERABLE ATHANASIUS, ABBOT (EGOUMENOS) OF VYSOTSK MONASTERY IN SERPUKHOV. Saint Athanasius was the son of a Russian priest, and from his youth inclined toward prayer. When he decided to become a monk, he looked for a worthy spiritual guide, and having heard of Saint Sergius of Rodnezh, the father of Russian Monasticism, he traveled to his monastery near Novgorod. This monastery proved to be a shining model of monastic organization and cenobitic life, where there was oneness of spirit. In addition to his monastic obedience, Saint Athanasius translated and copied books from the Greek language, and he continued in this labor into old age. He translated the Four Hundred Chapters of Saint Maximus the Confessor and the Discourses of Saint Symeon the New Theologian. The monastery of Saint Sergius became known for the flourishing of Church literature. In 1374, Prince Vladimir asked Saint Sergius to found a monastery in Serpukhov, so he and St. Athanasius established one. Many Russian ascetics moved there, and the rule of Saint Athanasius proved to be difficult for many. The monks were expected to be vigilant in prayer and in divine precepts until midnight, and sometimes the whole night. Their only food was bread and water; olive oil and wine were considered improper. Saint Athanasius taught that monks are voluntary martyrs, suffering tortures from within, from the nature of the flesh and mental enemies (demons).
+By the holy intercessions of Your Saints and Holy Fathers and Ascetics, O Christ Our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
TODAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURAL READINGS ARE THE FOLLOWING:
Holy Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 7:1-10
Holy Gospel Lesson: St. John 11:47-54
FROM THE HOLY VOICE OF THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE CHURCH:
"An old man said, 'Pray God to give your compunction of heart and humility. Pay continual attention to your sins, and do not judge others, but consider yourself inferior to all."
"The old men (gerondes) used to say, 'The power of Satan which go before all sin are three: forgetfulness, negligence and desire. For, truly, every time forgetfulness comes, it engenders negligence; and from negligence, desire proceeds; and desire causes a man to fall. But if the spirit stands on guard against Satan, it does not give way to desire; if it does not desire, by the grace of Christ it does not fall." [The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers]
A CONFESSION WHICH LEADS THE INWARD MAN TO HUMILITY
[Taken from "The Pilgrim Continues His Way"]
"Turning my eyes carefully upon myself and watching the course of my inward state, I have verified by experience that I do not love God, that I have no love for my neighbors, that I have no religious belief, and that I am filled with pride and sensuality. And this I actually find in myself as a result of detailed examination of my feelings and conduct, thus:
1. I do not love God. For if I loved God I should be continually thinking about Him with heartfelt joy. Every thought of God would give me gladness and delight. On the contrary, I much more often and much more eagerly think about earthly things, and thinking about God is labor and dryness. If I loved God, then talking with Him in prayer would be my nourishment and delight and would draw me to unbroken communion with Him. But, on the contrary, I not only find no delight in prayer, but even find it an effort. I struggle with reluctance, I am enfeebled by sloth, and am ready to occupy myself eagerly with any unimportant trifle, if only it shortens prayer and keeps me from it. My time slips away unnoticed in futile occupations, but when I am occupied with God, when I put myself into His presence, every hour seems like a year. If one person loves another, he thinks of him throughout the day with ceasing, he pictures him to himself, he cares for him, and in all circumstances his beloved friend is never out of his thoughts. But I, throughout the day, scarcely set aside even a single hour in which to sink deep down into meditation upon God, to inflame my heart with love for Him, while I eagerly give up twenty-three hours as fervent offering to the idols of my passions. I am forward in talk about frivolous matters and things which degrade the spirit; that gives me pleasure. But in the consideration of God I am dry, bored and lazy. Even if I am unwillingly drawn by others into spiritual conversation, I try to shift the subject quickly to one which pleases my desires. I am tirelessly curious about novelties, about civic affairs and political events; I eagerly seek the satisfaction of my love of knowledge in science and art, and in ways of getting things I want to possess. But the study of the Law of God, the knowledge of God and of religion, makes little impression on me, and satisfies no hunger of my soul. I regard these things not only as a non-essential occupation for a Christian, but in a casual way as a sort of side-issue with which I should perhaps occupy my spare time, at odd moments. To put it shortly, if love for God is recognized by the keeping of His Commandments (If ye love Me, keep My Commandments, says our Lord Jesus Christ), and I not only do not keep them, but even make little attempt to do so, then in absolute truth the conclusion follows that I do not love God. This is what Saint Basil the Great says: "The proof that mans does not love God and His Christ lies in the fact that he does not keep His commandments."
2. I do not love my neighbor either. For not only am I unable to make up my mind to lay down my life for his sake (according to the holy Gospel), but I do not even sacrifice my happiness, well-being and peace for the good of my neighbor. If I did love him as myself, as the Holy Gospel bids, his misfortunes would distress me also, and his happiness would bring delight to me too. But, on the contrary, I listen to curious, unhappy stories about my neighbor and I am not distressed; I remain quite undisturbed or, what is still worse, I find a sort of pleasure in them. Bad conduct on the part of my brother I do not cover up with love, but proclaim aloud with censure. His well-being, honor, and happiness do not delight me as my own, and, as if they were something quite alien to me, give me no feeling of gladness. What is more, they subtly arouse in me feelings of envy or contempt.
3. I have no religious belief. Neither in immortality nor in the Gospel. If I were firmly persuaded and believed without doubt that beyond the grave lies Eternal life and recompense for the deeds of this life, I should be continually thinking of this. The very idea of immortality would terrify me and I should lead this life as a foreigner who gets ready to enter his native land. On the contrary, I do not even think about Eternity, and I regard the end of this earthly life as the limit of my existence. The secret thought nestles within me: Who knows what happens at death? If I say I believe in immortality, then I am speaking about my mind only, and my heart is far removed from a firm conviction about it. That is openly witnessed to by my conduct and my constant care to satisfy the life of the senses. Were the Holy Gospel taken into my heart in faith, as the Word of God, I should be continually occupied with it. I should study it, find delight in it and with deep devotion fix my attention upon it. Wisdom, mercy, and love are hidden in it; it would lead me to happiness, I should find gladness in the study of the Law of God day and night. In it I should find nourishment like my daily bread and my heart would be drawn to the keeping of its laws. Nothing on earth would be strong enough to turn me away from it. On the contrary, if now and again I read or hear the Word of God, yet even so it is only from necessity or from a general love of knowledge, and approaching it without any very close attention, I find it dull and uninteresting. I usually come to the end of the reading without any profit, only too ready to change over to secular reading in which I take more pleasure and find new and interesting subjects.
4. I am full of pride and sensual self-love. All my actions confirm this. Seeing something good in myself, I want to bring it into view, or to pride myself upon it before other people or inwardly to admire myself for it. Although I display an outward humility, yet I ascribe it all to my own strength and regard myself as superior to others, or at least no worse than they. If I notice a fault in myself, I try to excuse it, I cover it up by saying, 'I am made like that', or 'I am not to blame'. I get angry with those who do not treat me with respect and consider them unable to appreciate the value of people. I brag about my gifts: my failures in any undertaking I regard as a personal insult. I murmur, and I find pleasure in the unhappiness of my enemies. If I strive after anything good it is for the purpose of winning praise, or spiritual self-indulgence, or earthly consolation. In a word, I continually make an idol of myself and render it uninterrupted service, seeking in all things the pleasure of the senses, and nourishment for my sensual passions and lusts.
Going over all this I see myself as proud, adulterous, unbelieving, without love to God and hating my neighbor. What state could be more sinful? The condition of the spirits of darkness is better than mine. They, although they do not love God, hate men and live upon pride, yet at least they believe and tremble. But I? Can there be doom more terrible than that which faces me, and what sentence of punishment will be more severe than that upon the careless and foolish life that I recognize in myself?
With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George