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 3rd OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE FEAST DAY OF THE HOLY HIEROMARTYR DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE
Saint Dionysius the Areopagite was born of noble parents who were pagans and was reared in the most glorious city of Athens, Greece. He began the study of Greek wisdom in his childhood, and such as his success therein, that by the age of twenty-five he had surpassed all his peers in his knowledge of philosophy. Nevertheless, he then departed to the city named Heliopolis, in the land of Egypt, where learned teachers had lived since antiquity, that he might perfect his knowledge. Together with his friend Apollophanus, he was instructed by the wise men of Heliopolis in the science of astronomy. On the day when Christ the Lord was crucified on the Cross for our salvation, when the sun was darkened at midday because it could not bear the sight of the Lord's Crucifixion, and the light was turned to darkness for three hours, Dionysius said in astonishment, "Either God, the Creator of the whole world is undergoing suffering, or this visible world is coming to an end." This he said concerning the Master's Passion through the Holy Spirit and not merely because he was learned in the wisdom of this age.
When Dionysius returned to Athens, he married; and inasmuch as he was the most eminent of the citizens because of his nobility, intelligence, and integrity, the government of the city was committed to him. When the holy Apostle Paul came to Athens, Greece and preached Christ, crucified and Resurrected, before the elders of the city, Dionysius hearkened attentively unto Paul's words, laying them up in his heart. The other elders told Paul that they would hear him speak of Christ again, at another time, but Dionysius, who was wiser than the rest, continued speaking with Saint Paul alone. Saint Paul asked him, "What god do you worship here?"
Dionysius pointed out to him in the city Cronus, Aphrodite, Zeus, Hephaestus, Hermes, Dionysius, Artemis, and many others. As Saint Paul went through the city with Dionysius and saw these gods, he came upon an idol with this inscription: "to the unknown god." He asked Dionysius, "Who is this unknown god?"
Dionysius replied, "He among the gods Who has not yet manifested Himself but Who shall come in his own time. He is the God Who shall reign over heaven and earth, whose kingdom has no end."
When the holy Apostle Paul heard this, he began with success to sow the seed of the word of God on the good earth of Dionysius' heart, proclaiming to him, on the foundation of Dionysius' own words, that God had already appeared and that He had been born of the Most Pure and Ever-Virgin Mary. He also explained how Christ-God had been nailed to the Cross and suffered for the sake of the salvation of man, and that, unable to bear the sight of His suffering, the sun was darkened and did not shed its light upon the world for three hours. Saint Paul told him that this same God arose from the dead and ascended into the heavens, and he ended his words thus: "Therefore, Dionysius, believe in Him, and in truth serve the True God, Jesus Christ."
Dionysius called to mind the darkness of which Saint Paul spoke, which had covered all the earth, and straightway he believed that God had truly suffered at that time in a human body. He opened his heart to the knowledge of the unknown God, our Lord Jesus Christ, and was illumined by the light of the grace of God. Moreover, he entreated the holy Apostle to pray for him to God, that He might show him mercy and number him among His servants.
As Saint Paul was departing from the city of Athens, a certain blind man (whom all knew had been blind from his birth) besought the Apostle to grant him sight. Saint Paul made the sign of the Cross upon his eyes and said, "May my Lord and Teacher Jesus Christ, Who anointed with clay the eyes of the man born blind an granted him sight, likewise enable you to see by His power."
Immediately the blind man saw; and Saint Paul commanded him to go to Dionysius and to say, "Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ, has sent me to you, that you might go to him and be baptized, as you have promised, and receive the remission of sins."
The blind man went and did as he had been told, proclaiming to Dionysius the Divine benefaction bestowed upon him through Saint Paul. When Dionysius saw that the blind man, who was known to him, now saw, he marveled greatly. He did not delay but hastened to Saint Paul, together with his wife Damaris, their sons, and their entire household; and he was baptized by the holy Apostle. After this Dionysius left his house, his wife, and children and joined himself to Saint Paul. For three years he followed Saint Paul wherever he went, and what he learned from him is evident in his treatise On Mystical Theology. Later, Dionysius was made bishop by Saint Paul and was sent from Thessaloniki to Athens that he might serve for the salvation of men there. Dionysius had occasion to hear not only Saint Paul but the preaching of all holy Apostles. He was with them when they were all gathered together for the burial of our most Pure Lady, the Theotokos, and in his writings he states that he was in the city of Jerusalem at the Lord's Sepulchre, where he saw and heard James the holy Apostle, the brother of the Lord, and the eminent Saint Peter the Apostle, Saint John the holy Apostle, the Theologian, Saint Hierotheos, Timothy the holy Apostle, and many of the other brethren, who at that time taught there the mysteries of the faith, proclaiming the Divinity and Humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, just as every True theologian teaches even now.
Dionysius remained in Athens for quite a long time, through his labors causing the Church founded by the holy Apostle Paul to grow. But like the holy Apostles, Saint Dionysius wished to preach the Gospel of Christ in other lands and to suffer and martyrdom for the name of Christ as did his teacher, the blessed Paul, whom he heard had suffered for Christ in Rome under the pagan emperor Nero. He appointed another bishop in his place in Athens and went to Rome, where Saint Clement, the bishop of Rome, received him joyfully. He lived with Saint Clement for a short time and then was sent by him to Gaul (France), together with the priest Rusticus and Eleftherius the deacon, to preach the word of God to the unbelievers there. Saint Dionysius arrived in France with these men and converted many people from idolatry to the Lord in the city of Paris, thus becoming the Apostle of that land. There, with the alms by the faithful, he built a church, in which he celebrated the bloodless sacrifice and prayed God to permit him to gather together a multitude of rational sheep.
As the word of God spread, the pagan Caesar Domitian raised up a persecution against the Christians, similar to the one brought about by Nero. He sent one Sisinius as Governor to Gaul (France), that he might persecute the Christians there. When Sisinius arrived in the city of Paris, he immediately ordered that Dionysius, renowned for his miracles and divine wisdom, be seized and tortured, together with Rusticus and Eleftherius. Saint Dionysius was by this time already aged and very worn by his labors in the preaching of the holy Gospel, He was bound firmly and led with the others before the Governor, who looked upon him and said angrily, "Are you Dionysius, the wicked old man who blasphemes our gods, disdains their worship, and opposes the imperial decree?"
Answered the Saint, "Although my body, as you see, is already aged, my faith blossoms with youth, and my confession ever gives birth in Christ to new children."
Saint Dionysius was asked by Sisinius what god he worshipped and he proclaimed unto the Governor the word of Truth, confessing the Great Name of the Most Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the Governor, like a deaf asp, did not wish to hear the word of salvation and asked all three prisoners, "Do you agree to submit to the emperor and to sacrifice unto the gods?"
As though out of a single mouth, the Saint answered, "We are Christians and worship but one God, who is in the heavens. We will not submit to the emperor's ordinance."
Then the Governor commanded that Dionysius be disrobed and lashed mercilessly. As the Saint endured this, he thanked Christ that He had permitted him to bear His wounds upon his body. They likewise tormented Rusticus and Eleftherius, who, strengthened by Dionysius and still more by God, glorified Christ as they suffered...The persecutor became enraged and again commanded that they be beaten without mercy after which he condemned them to be beheaded.
As the Saints were being led out of the city to the hill which is called the Hill of Ares, Dionysius prayed, saying, "O God, my God, Who did create me and instruct me in Thine eternal wisdom...I thank Thee for all things which Thou hast wrought for me unto the glory of Thy Most Holy Name, I likewise offer Thee, in mine infirmity and old age and dost summon me and my friends unto Thyself...Accept Thou our labors, for Thine is the power and the dominion, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages."
When he had said the Amen, Dionysius bent his sacred head, which was cut off with a dull axe for the Most Holy Name of Jesus Christ. In like manner Rusticus and Eleftherius were beheaded for Christ after him.
Saint Dionysius suffered when he was 90 years of age, 96 A.D., and at his grave many miracles were worked unto the glory of Christ our God. (Source: The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints)
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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