Venerable Therapon the Abbot of Monza
Beloved brothers and sisters in Our Risen Lord, God, Redeemer and the Only True Savior of the world Jesus Christ,
CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! ΑΛΗΘΩΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!
A PRAYER OF ST. EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN
+ In the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling upon Death, and has bestowed life to those in the tombs.
O Lord Jesus Christ, our God having shown Your Holy Mother to be more Honorable than all the heavenly powers, through her intercessions and those of all Your Saints, provide spiritual comfort and forgive me Your unworthy servant; forgive whatever I have sinned today as a human being--rather as a sub-human being--my voluntary and involuntary transgressions, which I have committed in knowledge or ignorance, through beguilement, or by my own inattention, great laziness and negligence. If I have sworn by Your Holy Name, if I have committed perjury or blasphemed in thought, if I have stolen anything or lied or in any way irritated You; if a friend came to me and I slighted him, if I have grieved and embittered a brother or sister, if while standing to pray and sing psalms, my evil mind wandered off toward earthly and evil things; if I ate more than the appropriate amount or engaged in idle talk, if I laughed imprudently or had vainglorious thoughts, if I behaved arrogantly or looked upon vain beauty, and my mind was attracted by it; if I talked idly about things I should not, if I curiously examined the fault of my brother or sister and condemned him/her, while my own innumerable faults I overlooked; if I neglected my prayer, or brought to mind any other evil thing-all these many things, and others, that I have done and do not remember, forgive me, O God, that I, the prodigal, may sleep in peace and fine rest, glorifying You, together with the Father, and the All-Holy and Good and Life-Creating Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
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TODAY'S SYNAXARION (THE COMMEMORATION OF TODAY'S SAINTS):
On May 27th 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 of every righteous soul made perfect in our Holy Orthodox Christian faith: Hieromartyr Elladios; Saint John the Russian; Saint Therapon, bishop of Sardis; Venerable Bede; Saint Therapontes of White Lake (Belozersk); Holy Martyrs Alypius and Efseviotos; Saint Michael of Parenkhi; Saint Basil, son of king Bagrat III of Georgia; Saint Julius the Veteran at Dorostolum, Moesia; Translation (Anakomide) of the holy relics of St. Nilos of Stolben Island; Translation of the holy relics of Saints Cyprianos, Photius, and Jonah, Metropolitans of Kiev.
+By the holy intercessions of Your Saints, Holy Martyrs, Holy Metropolitans, Holy Mothers, Holy Fathers, Holy Bishops, Holy Ascetics, O Christ Our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
THE HOLY HIEROMARTY HELLADIUS. OUR RIGHTEOUS FATHER JOHN THE RUSSIAN, THE NEW CONFESSOR. Concerning Saint Helladius, little is known except that he was a bishop who refused to sacrifice to idols, and that during his martyrdom our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him and healed him of his wounds, after which he was cast into fire and was preserved unharmed, suffered further torments, and finally was beaten to death with the blows of fists.
The holy New Confessor John, a native of Russia, was captured during the Russian campaign against the Turks in 1711, as was thereafter sold into slavery in Asia Minor. In this condition he struggled to serve God in piety even while he served his earthly masters in all that was needful. He remained steadfast in the Christian Faith in the face of the many enticements the Muslims provided to lure him to their error, and was granted the grace to work miracles by his prayers. He reposed in peace in the year of our Lord 1730. His holy relics remained incorrupt and are found at New Prokopion of Evoia in Greece.
Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn of the Hieromartyr. Fourth Tone
As a sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the Apostles, O inspired of God, thou foundest discipline to be a means of ascent to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of truth, thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood, O Hieromartyr Helladius. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved.
Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn of the Righteous One. Fourth Tone
He that hath called thee from earth unto the heavenly abodes doth even after thy death keep thy body unharmed, O righteous one; for thou was carried off as a prisoner to Asia, wherein also, O John, thou didst Christ as thy friend. Wherefore, do thou beseech Him that our souls be saved.
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TODAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURAL READINGS ARE THE FOLLOWING:
Holy Epistle Lesson: Acts 17:19-28
Holy Gospel Lesson: St. John 12:19-36
INSPIRING SAYINGS FROM THE WORKS OF THE HOLY ASCETICS, MOTHERS AND FATHERS OF THE CHURCH:
"According to the Gospel, it should be said that undoubtedly each person is given his own saving cross. This cross has grown on the soul of our heart, and it is only through this cross that we can be saved. From this it follows that if we refuse to carry our cross of obedience for no legitimate reason, we refuse to go by the way of Christ, by the saving way, and we want to invent for ourselves another way, free of labors, for attaining the Kingdom of Heaven. But this cannot be." (Saint Anatoly of Optina)
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ABOUT THE WORLD CRISIS
By Saint Nikolai Velimirovic (Answer to a Priest about the World Crisis)
You ask me, O man of God, where did today's crisis come from and what does it mean? Who am I to be asked about such a great thing? 'You should only speak when what you have to say is better than silence,' says Saint Gregory the Theologian. And even though I believe that silence would be better right now, I will give you my opinion on it for the sake of my love for you.
Crisis is a Greek word, and it means judgment. In the Holy Scripture this word is used many times. The Psalmist says, 'therefore, the godless will not stand up in judgment' (Psalm 1:5). In another place, it says, 'I sing of mercy and judgment; (Psalm 101:1). Wise Solomon writes, 'the judgment of all comes from the Lord' (Prov. 29:26). The Savior Himself said that 'the Father has given all judgment to the Son,' and later 'now is the judgment of the world come' (St. John 5:22, 12:31). Apostle Peter writes, 'for it is time that the judgment of God's house begin' (1 Peter 4:17).
Replace the word judgment with crisis and read, 'therefore, the godless will not stand up in crisis -I sing of mercy and crisis-to crisis of all comes from the Lord-the Father has given all crisis to the Son-now is the crisis of the world come-for it is time that the crisis of God's house begin.
So far, European nations have used the word judgment in-stead of crisis, whenever some trouble fell upon them. Now, the old word is replaced with the new - the understandable with the incomprehensible. When there was a drought, people would say, 'God's judgment!' When there was flood, 'God's judgment!'
When there was a war or a plague, 'God's judgment!' When there was hail, earthquakes, pests, mice and other troubles, again and every time God's judgment! And that means-crisis through droughts, crisis through floods, through wars, plagues, etc. Today's financial-economic trouble is also considered by the people to be God's judgment, but they don't say judgment, but crisis. So that the trials are multiplied through confusion! For when we used an understandable word, judgment, we also understood the cause of the trouble; we knew the judge who allowed the trials; and the goal of the trial was also known. However, as soon as we used the word crisis, a word incomprehensible to all and every one, nobody knows how to explain anything-why, where from, to what end? That is the only difference between today's crisis and those crises of drought, flood, war, plague, insects or other pestilences.
Do you ask me about the cause of today's crisis or today's judgment of God? The cause is the same forever and ever. The cause of droughts, floods, plagues, and other whips of mankind is also the cause of today's crisis: apostasy of the people. The people have caused this crisis by the sin of apostasy, and God has allowed it in order to awaken the people, that they might come to their senses, become more spiritual and return to Him. Through modern sins, comes modern crisis. God really did use modern means to put some sense into modern people-He struck the banks, the stock markets, finances, and currencies. He has overturned the tables of the exchangers around the world, just as He did a long time ago in the Temple in Jerusalem. He has created an unprecedented panic among the merchants and money exchangers. He lifts, casts down, stirs, confuses, frightens. All to make the wise little heads of European and American wise men wake up, come to their senses and become more spiritual. So that being anchored in the harbors of material security, they might remember their souls; confess their transgressions and bow down to the Almighty God-the Living God.
How long will the crisis last? As long as the people's spirit remains unchanged. Until those haughty people who caused this crisis capitulate before the Almighty. Until the peoples and nations remember to translate the incomprehensible word crisis into their own languages so that they may say 'God's judgment!' You also, honorable father, ought to say 'God's judgment' instead of crisis and everything will be clear.
(Source: http://stjohnfw.info/letter-38-word crisis-html)
CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! ΑΛΗΘΩΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!
[Please note: Thursday, the feast of Ascension: Orthros at 9:00 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.]
With sincere agape in Our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George