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 NOVEMBER 2nd OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE HOLY MARTYRS, ACYNDINOS, PEGASIUS, APHTHONIOS, ELPIDOPHOROS AND OTHER WITH THEM.
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They were Persian Christians, and suffered in the time of king Sapor, in 355 A.D. The first three were servants at the court of this king, but secretly served Christ their Lord. When they were arrested and brought to trial before the king, he asked them where they came from. To this they replied: 'Our paternity and life is the Most Holy Trinity, consubstantial (of one essence) and undivided, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God.' The king gave them over to harsh torture, and they endure it all courageously, singing psalms and with prayer on their lips. At the time of their torture and imprisonment, Angels of God appeared to them several times, and once the Lord Christ Himself, as a man with a face radiant as the sun'. When one of the torturers, Aphthonios, saw with wonder that boiling lead did no harm to the Martyrs, he believed in Christ and cried out: 'Great is the Christian God!' He was then immediately beheaded, and many others saw and believed. Then the king commanded that Acyndinos, Pegasios, and Anempodistos be sewn into goat-skins and thrown into the sea. Then Saint Aphthonios appeared from the other world with three shining Angels, and they bore the Martyrs to dry land and set them free. Elpidophoros was a courtier. When he revealed that he was a Christian, and denounced the king for his slaughter of innocent Christians, the king condemned him to death, and Elpidophoros was beheaded along with about 7,000 other Christians. Then the three-named Martyrs were finally thrown into a burning furnace, along with 28 soldiers and the king's mother, who has also come to faith in Christ. And so, in the flames, they gave their righteous souls into the hands of the Lord.
FOR CONSIDERATION
How shall he attain to love his enemies who sets aside love for his parents? Love for one's parents is the chief and fundamental school of love. Without this schooling, one cannot go further. The Serbian king Dragutin stood in arms against his father in order to seize his throne. But it so happened that he broke his leg, and this awakened his conscience, which tormented him till his death, giving him no peace. Dragutin, relinquished his throne, and made over his power, to his younger brother Milutin. He embarked on great works of mercy, built churches and performed other good deeds. He also lived an intensive, secret ascetic life. He girded his naked body with a belt of reeds, dressed in course sackcloth and prayed to God at night in a secretly-prepared grave. The repentant king did all this only to gain God's forgiveness for his lack of love towards his parents, and God forgave him.
Many holy Martyrs, whom their executioners had come to seek out, welcomed them with joy and entertained them in their homes until the time came for them to be put to death. To entertain the man who is to shed one's blood is indeed a great expression of love for one's enemies. When king Sapor put Acyndinos, Pegasius, and the others to harsh torture, he suddenly went out of his mind and became dumb, being unable to speak, and clawed at his face in his great fury. Seeing his tormentor in such despair, Saint Acyndinos wept, and prayed to God for the king, saying: 'In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, speak!', and the king was loosed from his dumbness and began to speak. Here is an example of true love for one's enemies.
HOMILY
--on the will of God that all Christians should be holy.
"According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4)
The one Church teaches and demonstrates was first a plan for the world, and that it was then created. This plan was in the wisdom and will and power of God. And we Christians, as the Church of God, are part of this plan. God choses us, in accordance with His plan. God chose us, in accordance with His plan, "before the foundation of the world", for holiness and righteousness in love. God called us beforehand and adopted us in Him -- in whom? In the Lord Jesus Christ, for, all that we are to God we are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ, man has no link, no relationship, nor kinship with God, and our choosing and adoption, then, is in our Lord Jesus Christ. He chose us to be his Holy Church according to the good pleasure of his will", as Israel was aforetime chosen from among all the nations on earth. Let on-one say: 'This choice of God's destroys man's free will, so that neither will Christians be rewarded for being Christians nor pagans condemned for being pagans. No; this is an utterly mistaken interpretation, for God chose Israel aforetime, and some Israelites perished and others were saved. He has also chosen His holy Church, calling all men and nations to Himself. But who among those called will be saved does not depend upon God's choice but on man's will and striving.
O Eternal God, Our Creator, Who did chose us for salvation before creating us, have mercy on us and save us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen. (Source: The Prologue from Ochrid)
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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