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.
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ON OCTOBER 20th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE FEAST OF OUR VENERABLE MOTHER MATRONA THE WONDER (MIRACLE)-WORKER OF THE GREEK ISLAND OF CHIOS
Matrona, our holy and wonderworking Mother, was from Volissos, located on the northwest coast of the island of Chios. Her parents, Anna and Leon Sepsinias, were devout Christians, adorned with every Christian ethic and good work. Moreover, they were quite wealthy and distinguished. They had seven daughters, and Mary (later named Matrona) was one of them. Mary had been named in honor of the Ever-Virgin and Theotokos, the blameless Bride of Christ.
When the time approached for her parents to arrange her marriage, she did not desire to wed. She preferred to preserve her virginity and purity in order to become a comely and unsullied bride of Christ, the immortal Bridegroom. Most wisely, she perceived that true and unscathed virginity is not easily attained in the world amid the company of others. She also understood that those virtues that brighten the light of virginity would be hindered by many obstacles in the world.
Mary was pierced and consumed by the sweet arrows of Divine love; therefore, she decided to depart in secret. Leaving her parents, sisters, and relatives, she betook herself to a mountain nearby the village of Katavasis. In that place, she commenced her struggles in the stadium of asceticism. She contended against the passions and demons by fasting and keeping vigil. Her sole desire was to pray to God in solitude.
In Katavasis, the holy maiden was glad, and she glorified God for her deliverance from the tumult and clamor of the world. Meanwhile, her parents did not know her whereabouts. Thus, they searched every quarter until, at last, they found her on that mountain. Her parents did not deem it reasonable to leave their daughter in that secluded place; thus, they implored her to return home. As a dutiful handmaiden of the Lord, she yielded to her parents' bidding, and retraced her steps back to her father's house. Emulating the Christ Child, she placed herself in subjection and obedience, with all humility, to her parents.
The only issue upon which she would not yield to her parents was on marriage. Perceiving their daughter's recalcitrance about living with a husband and her intense longing for the monastic life, they acquiesced. They gave their blessing that she might pursue the angelic life according to God. Hence, Mary was both delighted and relieved. Her parents then gave her control of her paternal inheritance and dowry to do with as she wished.
In accordance with the Lord's command, "Sell your possessions and give alms (charity). Make for yourselves purses which do not become old, an unfailing treasure in the heavens, where no thief draweth near nor moth destroyeth" (Luke 12:33), Mary distributed all her chattels to widows, orphans, and the needy. All stationary property, that is farmlands and similar holdings, she placed under the control of her sisters that they might cultivate it. Mary then prayed that God would enlighten her as to how she might fulfill His will and reap spiritual benefit.
She then decided to leave Volissos and return to her first retreat at Katavasis. In order not to perish from starvation, one of Mary's sisters provided her with nourishment, though it was sparse. Mary lived and struggled in the Katavasis hermitage for three years. Although she physically abode there, her soul, heart and mind were aloft in the heights of the heavens. She contemplated its indescribable delight and beauty. After the third year, our beneficent God willed to reveal His hidden treasure, so others might be enriched with the celestial wealth of Mary's virtues. It was His will to place the lamp on the lampstand, thus illuminating and guiding others to the path of salvation. The Lord then instilled the good thought and ardent desire in her heart to descend to the lowlands, where many women's monasteries existed. Therein, she could be under obedience to an Egoumenisa and submit to the precepts of the monastic life.
The Saint Enters the Monastery
Obeying the command of God, Mary descended to the lower countryside. She surveyed all the women's monasteries and observed all the righteous solitaries who lived according to the life of Saint Anthony the Great of old. Then she came upon a small women's monastery at Chora, which she preferred above the rest. In that monastery there was an atmosphere of serenity and peace...Not much time elapsed in the monastery when her virtues shone through and the spiritual fruits of her previous ascetic labors became apparent. Consequently, she was tonsured a nun and clothed in the schema, and given the name of Matrona. As the holy Matrona grew older, progressing and flourishing in the virtues, she undertook new ascetic struggles. The Saint was lauded for her dispassion and boldness before God. Consequently, the evil one was shamed and caused his own subtle deed to work against himself. After this, Matrona was endued with great enthusiasm for her construction of the church. The laborers, too, because of the miracle, became more industrious.
"...The Egoumenisa of the monastery finished her course in this temporary life and was translated to eternal life. The holy Matrona's fellow ascetics besought her to accept the guardianship and governance of the newly expanded Women's Monastery; but Matrona refused. Nevertheless, she was elected as Gerondisa (Egoumenisa) and the sisterhood submitted to her.
There was a tradition at that time that the Egoumenisa of a monastery was addressed as Kyria (meaning "Lady" or "Mistress"). Thus, Matrona was also given this title. Those who knew her well believed that Kyria was a fitting name. As her titled implied, she was mistress over the passions, the world, and secular rulers. She even defeated death itself, which rules the race of men. What do we mean by this? Attend, that you may also be in awe at the holy woman who proved death to be a kind of sleep.
The island of Chios is attacked
At that time, when the Genoese dominated Chios, a great force of marauders invaded the island from the West. They were uncivilized men in language and behavior. They were rapacious and committed much pillage and destruction on the island. Now it happened that they came to the Monastery of Kyra Matrona. One of the men, who was more audacious and shameless than the others, dared to molest one of the nuns. But, lo the miracle! "The Angel of the Lord will encamp round about them that fear Him, and will deliver them (Psalm 33:7). Divine justice struck the unjust man and he fell dead to the earth. The holy Gerondisa, basing all her hopes on God, had been praying to God for assistance at that very moment.
At the sight of this, the holy Matrona glorified God for His immediate response and aid. However, she also pitied the wretched barbarian. She then prayed to God, the Master of life and death, that He might resurrect the barbarian. God hearkened to the prayer of His handmaid and resurrected the man, to the astonishment and awe of all the bystanders. Kyra Matrona then admonished those wild men, as was right, and dismissed them from the Monastery.
Resurrecting the dead by her prayer was the accomplishment of Divine grace. It was also an indication of the holy woman's boldness before God. However, the inevitability of death is a common law of nature, and a debt that all pay. Therefore, it was the will of Matrona's immortal Bridegroom Christ to give His handmaiden rest from ascetical labors. He desired to translate her to the immortal bridal-chamber and eternal blessedness i the heavens.
The Saint's Repose
The Lord then revealed to her that her blessed end would come in seven days. At this point, Matrona became slightly ill and called together the nuns and novices. She admonished them as a mother and forgave them as she asked them for forgiveness. After finishing all her duties, she communicated the Divine Mysteries, and then surrendered her soul into the Divine hands of Our soul-saving God. Saint Matrona of Chios reposed on the 20th of October, 1462.
The holy woman's sacred relics were buried in the church which she labored to build. The God of miracles, Whom Matrona had honored with her ascetical struggles and virtues, glorified her relics by His Divine grace, which became a blessing to all the people. The church wherein her holy relics ere interred became a source of perpetual miracles and an unmercenary infirmary for every passion and sickness. (Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church)
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!'--Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George