My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

ON NOVEMBER 16th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE FEAST DAY OF THE HOLY APOSTLE MATTHEW THE EVANGELIST

Matthew the son of Alphaeus was at first a tax-collector, and it was as such that the Lord saw him in Capernaum and said to him: "Follow me!" Leaving everything, he followed Him (St. Matthew 9:9). After that, Matthew prepared a feast in his house, and there provided an opportunity for the Lord to voice some great truths about His coming to earth. After receiving the Holy Spirit, Matthew preached the Gospel among the Parthians and Medes and in Ethiopia, the land of the negroes. In Ethiopia, he consecrated as bishop one Plato, a follower of his, and himself withdrew to prayerful solitude on a mountain, where the Lord appeared to him. Matthew baptized the wife and son of the prince of that land, at which the prince was greatly enraged and sent a guard to bring Matthew before him for trial. The soldiers went off, but returned to the prince, saying that they had heard Matthew's voice, but had been unable to set eyes on him. The prince then sent a second guard. When this guard drew near to the Apostle, he shone with a heavenly radiance so brilliant that the soldiers were unable to look at him, but threw down their weapons in terror and returned home. The prince then went himself. When he approached Matthew, such radiance shone forth from the Saint that the prince was blinded on the instant. But the Apostle had a kind heart: he prayed to God and the prince's sight was restored--unfortunately, only on the physical plane, his spiritual eyes remaining closed. He seized Saint Matthew and put him to harsh tortures, twice lighting a fire on his chest, but the power of God kept him alive and unharmed. Then the Holy Apostle prayed to God and gave his spirit into His hands. The prince commanded that the martyr's body be put into a leaden coffin and cast into the sea. The Saint appeared to Bishop Plato and told him where to find his body in its coffin, and the bishop went and brought them back. Seeing this new marvel, the prince was baptized and received the name, Matthew. He then set aside all earthly vanity and became a priest, serving the Church in a manner pleasing to God. When Plato died, the Apostle Matthew appeared to this Matthew and counseled him to accept the episcopate. So he became a bishop and was a good shepherd for many years until God took him to His immortal Kingdom. Saint Matthew the Apostle wrote his Gospel in Aramaic, and it was very soon translated into Greek. It has come down to us in Greek, the Aramaic original being lost. Of this Evangelist, it is said that he never ate meat, but fed only on vegetables and fruit.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Does the Lord's commandment about unceasing prayer (St. Luke 18:1) apply only to monks and nuns, or to all Christians? If it applied only to monks, the Apostle would not have written to the Christians in Salonica: "Pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17). The Holy Apostle, then, reiterates the Lord's command word for word and gives it to all Christians without distinction of monk or layman. Saint Gregory Palamas lived for some time as a young man in a Monastery in Veroea. There lived in those parts a well-known ascetic, the Geronda (Elder) Job, who was venerated by all. It happened at one time that Saint Gregory, in the elder's presence, quoted the holy Apostle's words, asserting that unceasing prayer was a necessity for all Christians, not only for monks. The elder Job replied to these words, saying that unceasing prayer is a necessity only for monks, and not for Christians. Saint Gregory, being a young man, ceded the argument, not wishing to quarrel, and withdrew in silence. When Job had returned to his cell and was standing in prayer, an Angel of God appeared to him in great heavenly glory and said to him: 'Old man, don't doubt the truth of Gregory's words; he spoke truly. So, hold your peace and advise others to do the same.' Thus, then, both the Apostle and the Angel underlined the commandment that all Christians must pray to God without ceasing. If not unceasingly in church, then unceasingly in every place and at every time, in the depths of your heart. If God does not for a moment tire of giving us good things, how can we tire of thanking Him for these good things? If he is constantly thinking of us, why do we not think constantly of Him? (Source: The Prologue from Ochrid)

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DIVINE SERVICES FOR THE FEAST OF THE HOLY APOSTLE MATTHEW ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16th:

Orthros (Matins) at .......................................9:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at..........................................10:00 a.m.
Place of worship: Saint Nektarios Chapel

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George