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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THE HOLY LIFE OF THE GREAT-MARTYR BARBARA (Part II)
A priest from Heliopolis from Alexandria, disguised as a merchant. Learning of this, Barbara sent for him. He secretly instructed her in the knowledge of the One Almighty God, the Creator of All Things, and in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus Barbara attained what her heart had ardently desired for so long. After teaching her the mysteries of the holy faith, the priest baptized her in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then departed for his own country. Saint Barbara's heart burned even hotter with love for God after she was enlightened by Baptism. She exercised herself continually in prayer, and fasting, laboring for her Lord, to Whom she betrothed herself, vowing to preserve her virginity undefiled.
By that time construction had begun on the bathhouse. One day the holy virgin came down from the tower to examine it. Seeing that the structure had only two windows, she said to the builders, "Why have you installed just two windows? Would the building not be more beautiful and better lit with three?"
"Your father ordered us to install two windows, on the south side," answered the laborers.
But Barbara insisted that a third window be added, to represent the Holy Trinity. When the builders objected, fearing difficulties with her father, she insisted, "I shall answer for you to my father. Only do as I say." So a third window was added to the bathhouse in accordance with her instructions.
Now the bath was built, as was said, beside a pool, which was surrounded by a wall of marble. One memorable day, Saint Barbara traced the Holy Cross upon the east side of the wall, and her finger left a mark in the stone as if the marble had been engraved with a chisel. Her virginal footprints remained imprinted in the stone floor of the bath; from them water began to flow, which later became a source of healing for the faithful.
The bathhouse, the marble wall on which the cross was traced, the pool, and the footsteps of the Saint all survived intact until the time of the blessed Symeon Metaphrastes, who revised the account of the passion of Saint Barbara written by Saint John of Damascus. He writes the following: "The pool exists today and heals every disease for those who love Christ. If someone were to compare it with the streams of Jordan or the Pool of Siloam or the Sheep's Pool, he would not sin against truth, for numerous miracles are wrought at Saint Barbara's pool by the power of Christ."
Returning to her tower, Saint Barbara, continued with her usual prayers and fasts, immersing her mind completely in meditation on the Divinity. Presently Dioscorus returned from his journey. After inspecting everything in his house, he went to the newly completed bath. He became angry with the builders and servants, demanding to know why they had disobeyed his orders and installed a third window. They protested, "It was not our notion, but your daughter's. She forced us to disobey you!"
Dioscorus called for Barbara at once and asked her why she had a third window installed in the bathhouse. The Saint replied, "Three windows are better than two. I believe, father, that you wanted the bath lit by two windows to symbolize the sun and the moon, which lighten the heavens. But I prefer three because the unapproachable, ineffable, unwaning Light that illumines every man that comes into the world (John, Chapter 1) shines forever from a triple source."
Barbara's father was amazed by her strange, novel words, which he failed to comprehend. Then father and daughter moved closer to the pool, near the place in the wall where the Saint had inscribed the cross with her finger. Dioscorus asked. "How can the light of three windows illumine every man, as you said?"
"Hear me, father," said the Saint, "and try to understand my words. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the three hypostases of the God Who is one in trinity. They abide in unapproachable Light and illumine and give life to all creation. I had the workers install the three windows in the bathhouse so that one might represent the Father, another the Son, and the third the Holy Spirit. Now even the walls on our bath glorify the Name of the Most Holy Trinity." Then she pointed to the cross inscribed in the marble, and said, "I have traced here the emblem of the Son of God, Who by the gracious will of the Father and the operation of the Holy Spirit became incarnate of the pure Virgin for our salvation. He voluntarily suffered upon a Cross such as the one you see. By depicting the Cross here I have driven away all the power of the demons."
...Burning with rage, Dioscorus forgot the love for his child implanted in his heart by nature, and drew his sword, intending to run it through her. Barbara took flight, and he pursued her with a weapon in hand. The wolf had almost caught up to Christ's spotless lamb when suddenly Barbara found her way blocked by a cliff, as though by a wall. Not knowing how else to escape her father, or rather her persecutor, she turned to her only refuge, God, lifting up the eyes of her soul and body and begging His help. The Lord did not tarry in sending His handmaiden assistance: He commanded the cliff to part, as once the mountain had done for the Protomartyr Thecla when she was fleeing the shameless youths. The face of the cliff opened, and the holy virgin Barbara entered the cleft, after which the rock closed behind her, permitting her to ascend unharmed to the top of the mountain. There the Saint found a cave, in which she hid.
...Dioscorus soon found the cave where his daughter had taken refuge. He seized her and threw her to the ground, then beat and kicked her mercilessly. Taking hold of her hair, he dragged her home along a stony trail. Barbara was locked in a very small, dark hut. Seals were placed upon the windows and doors, and a watch was set. The guards were ordered to afflict the Saint with hunger and thirst. Thereupon Dioscorus went to the Governor, Martianus, and told him that his daughter had rejected the gods and now believed in the Crucified One. He requested the Governor to threaten Barbara with tortures so that she would return to her ancestral faith. Martianus agreed, and Dioscorus handed her over to him.
...The Governor marveled at the maiden's loveliness and was amazed by her noble bearing...He entreated her not to disgrace her family or to ruin the blossom of her youth and ended with this warning: "Have pity on yourself, fair maiden, and be quick to offer sacrifice with us to the gods...but if you do not obey me, I shall be compelled to put you to torture."
The Governor became enraged with her defiance and her disrespect to the pagan gods. He commanded that Barbara be stripped naked. Then the persecutor ordered that she be stretched out upon the ground and lashed with leather straps until the earth was dyed red with her blood. After the flogging, the Saint's wounds were rubbed with sackcloth and scraped with shards to increase her pain. The Governor then had the Saint confined in a dungeon until he could devise some crueler torture. Barbara called out in her prison cell to her beloved Bridegroom, Christ the Lord, beseeching Him not to abandon her. Then suddenly the King of Glory, Barbara's incorruptible Bridegroom, appeared in unspeakable Majesty. Oh, how the Saint rejoiced in spirit when she beheld Him! The sweet Lord said, "Take courage, My bride, and fear not, for I am with you. I stand watch over you, looking down on your contest, and will ease your pain. I have prepared an everlasting reward for you in the bridal chamber of heaven. Endure till the end, that you may enjoy the Eternal Blessings of My Kingdom.!"
...Jesus healed her wounds, permitting no trace of them to remain on her body. Then He disappeared, leaving her filled with a sense of ineffable spiritual gladness. (Source: The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints)
(To be continued)
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DIVINE SERVICE FOR THE FEAST OF SAINT BARBARA ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4:
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.
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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 (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George