August 25 - Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Titus

Holy Apostle Bartholomew

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 AUGUST 25th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE FEAST OF THE HOLY APOSTLES BARTHOLOMEW AND TITUS

Today is the commemoration of the translation of Saint Bartholomew's holy relics, while his main feast falls on June 11th. When this Great Apostle was crucified in Ourbanopolis in Armenia, Christians took his body and buried it in a leaden coffin. When numerous miracles had been wrought over the Apostle's grave, especially healings of the sick - which led to an increase in the number of Christians - the pagans took the coffin containing Bartholomew's holy relics and cast it into the sea. At the same time, they threw in four other coffins with the holy relics of four Martyrs: Papian, Lucian, Gregory and Acacius. By God's Providence, the coffins did not sink, but floated, carried by the waves, to various places: Acacius's to the city of Askalon, Gregory's to Calabria, Lucian's to Messina, Papian's to another place in Sicily and Bartholomew's to the island of Lipara. By some mysterious revelation, the Bishop of Lipara, Agathon, learned of the approach to Lipara of the holy relics of Saint Bartholomew. Agathon, with his clergy and people, went out to the shore and awaited the coffin with great joy. On the occasion, many of the sick were healed by the holy Apostle's holy relics. They were placed in the church of Saint Bartholomew and lay there until the time of Theophilus the Iconoclast (about 839 A.D.), then, when the Moslems threatened the Liparites, the Apostle's holy relics were taken to the town of Benevento. Thus God glorified His Apostle by miracles, both during his lifetime and after his death.

THE HOLY APOSTLE TITUS

One of the Seventy Apostles, he was born in Crete and educated in Greek philosophy and poetry. Led by a dream he read the Prophet Isaiah and came to doubt all Hellenic (Greek) learning. Hearing of Christ the Lord, he went to Jerusalem with some other Cretans, and himself heard the words of the Savior and saw His mighty works. His youthful heart clave utterly to Christ. He was later baptized by the holy Apostle Paul, whom he served in the works of the Gospel as a son serves his father. Saint Paul loved Titus so greatly that he sometimes called him his son (Titus 1:4), and sometimes his brother (II Corinthians 12:18). Titus travelled widely with the great Apostle of the people, and was by him made bishop of Crete. At the time of Saint Paul's suffering in Rome, Titus was there, and buried the body of his teacher and spiritual father. He then returned to Crete, where he had great success in baptizing the pagans and wisely governed the Church to great old age.  He entered into rest at the age of ninety-four. (Source: The Prologue from Ochrid)

The Book of Titus

Author - The greeting (1:1) and Holy Tradition both affirm that Saint Paul is the author.

Date - A.D. 63-65. The circumstances, content, and organization of Titus are similar to those of 1 Timothy. The two books were probably written about the same time. Saint Paul's work with Titus on Crete does not fit into the time covered by the Book of Acts, so it probably occurred after Saint Paul's release from his first imprisonment in Rome.

Major Theme - Overseeing the Church according to the True faith. As the Church grew, it naturally developed theology and structure and encountered heresy and sub-Christian behavior among its members, as had been prophesied. Saint Paul here advises Titus as he faces these issues.

Background - Titus was a Gentile converted to Christ by Saint Paul (1:4). After Saint Paul was released from prison in Rome about AD 63, he and Titus visited Crete (1:5). When Saint Paul moved on, he appointed Titus as Apostolic overseer (episcopos) there. After Saint Paul left Titus in charge of consolidating and organizing the Church on the island of Crete, he found theological problems there similar to those being confronted by Saint Timothy in Asia Minor: elements of Judaism binding Christians, and early gnosticism. But the native culture of Crete was more vicious than those found in Asia Minor. Further, whereas the holy Apostle Timothy was restoring order in established Churches, Titus was establishing order in young Churches.

FROM THE BOOK OF TITUS -  2:11-15

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you." 

"...To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work" (1:15-16).

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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

A Family That Prays Together...

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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A FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER...

Take away from me, O Lord, every destructive pride and give a prudent countenance to my eyes; set a bridle on my tongue, make my ears obedient to Thy Holy Commandments, provide me with patience in afflictions, make my heart wise and strong in forbearance, in goodness, in restraint, in sympathy, in charity, in love, in humility, in peace toward myself and all others, and in rejecting the indolence and slothfulness of the demons in which I once indulged as if they were mere confections.

Grant me the gift of seasoned discretion to be able to discern which thoughts and whose judgments to prefer. Grant me also the ability to discern the machinations of the devil and to reject them and him. And may I cut off altogether my own will so that I may rely upon Thy Providence, hoping to receive from Thee, ho are my Light, my salvation. And I bless, glorify and worship Thee, together with the Father and the Son, with Whom Thou are Co-eternal and Co-existing, always, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen ( Saint Symeon the New

Theologian)

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Prayer is essential for the Christian believer. "It is obvious to all that without prayer it is entirely impossible to cultivate virtue and to live a virtuous life. For how can anyone be virtuous who does not pray and does not always bow reverently to the Provider and Giver of virtue?" Saint John Chrysostom writes, "Prayer does not only cleanse us from sin, it also protects us from great dangers." This is why the holy Apostle Paul insists and constantly reminds us: "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving" (Col. 4:2). In another place he says: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Again he writes in another place: "Praying always with all prayer and supplications in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication" (Ephesians 6:18). With many such divine words the preeminent Saint Paul exhorts us to live our life in prayer and to nurture constantly our mind with it, because "all human beings have need of prayer just as trees have need of water." As the trees cannot bear fruit unless they drink from their roots abundant water, so also we cannot produce the precious fruit of piety unless we are nurtured by prayer.

Many of our families are secluded and even isolated because of the threat from the pandemic. Orthodox Christians, as others, work from home and the children are taught online or virtually. Parents and children are spending more time together which is a good thing. It is also a valuable opportunity for our Christian families to turn their attention to the Almighty and Loving God in prayer. The children should be taught prayers by their parents and to pray together daily as a family. Children should be encouraged to read the Holy Bible and the virtuous life of their personal and intercessor Saint. Orthodox Christian spiritual life can be strengthened during this most dangerous time. Our children are very frightened by everything they hear about this virus and therefore they need to know that God will protect them and their family and friends. Prayer is God's greatest gift to us.  

Prayer is essential and a unique blessing, honor, and privilege given to mankind. "It is this communion with God that not only defines us as human beings, but also offers to us the victory over Satan, sin and death." Our faith obliges us to thank God, not only when He grants our requests, but always and for all things. Nothing in our life is arbitrary. Everything that happens and everything that does not happen is under the Divine Providence and wisdom of God, and we should be able to accept it with gratitude and humility. 

We find comfort and inspiration in prayer. "...teach us Thy statues, for we know not how to pray fittingly unless Thou, Lord, through Thy Holy Spirit, lead us. Wherefore we pray, if up to this moment we have sinned, in word, or in deed or in thought, deliberately or not, loose, remit, forgive..." "Shine in our hearts the true Sun of Thy Righteousness; enlighten our minds and rule our senses so that, as in the day, walking with grace, in the way of Thy precepts, we may attain to eternal life. For with Thee is the Source of Life, and so, may we be found worthy to delight in Thine unapproachable Light. For Thou are our God, and to Thee we give glory; to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen." (Office of Orthros)

Pray for me as I always pray for you.

With agape in Our Savior Jesus Christ,

+Father George

The Sanctification of the Human Body

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 SANCTIFICATION OF THE HUMAN BODY
By His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasius of Lemessos, Cypress

The human person is the temple of the Living God. This is an Apostolic teaching of our Church, which means that, just as the grace of God, the grace of the Holy Spirit, resides in a Church, the same is true of the human body and we are temples of the Living God. We call God living because He's not cut off somewhere in the heavens and we simply believe in Him, accept Him, but because He resides in us and we are His temple. Naturally, Saint Paul doesn't mean that part of existence is the temple of God, but that the whole person is destined to become the temple of God and when this is achieved, it becomes a reality. This is the reason why we show great respect and honor to the whole human person.

When we honor the Saints of the Church, who are people who have confirmed that they are truly temples of the Living God, who have observed His Commandments and have found the truth, we don't honor just their souls or their teaching or even their intellect. We honor the Saints as whole people, persons who have been sanctified in their entirety, soul, and body. This is why we venerate the Holy Relics of the Saints in the Church, their bones, which received the grace of the Holy Spirit and are temples of the Living God. This is why we Orthodox Christians do not simply honor the relics as we would our ancestors, but we embrace the relics, the objects, the holy icons of the Saints because we really believe that, in this way, we communicate with the grace of the Holy Spirit which these Saints have. Naturally, they did not have it only in this life but have it more so now, when they are alive in the presence of God.

It is difficult for people in the West to understand the reverence we Orthodox Christians feel towards the Saints when we venerate their holy relics. In Orthodox Christianity, it's all around the face of the Saint, because glorification has to do with the whole human being of the Saints and embraces them entirely. This is why, in natural terms, sanctity is identified with morality and external integrity, but this alone is not the case in the Orthodox Church.

The Saints are, of course, moral and upright, but the grace of the Holy Spirit transcends these, human, worldly features and is the uncreated energy of God which covers the whole person's being so that he or she is sanctified as a whole. As it says in the Acts of the Holy Apostles-and this is a clear answer to Jehovah's Witnesses and Protestants-the woman with the issue of blood went and touched the hem of Christ's garment and was immediately healed. So we ask: is it possible that the clothing worked the miracle? Of course not. It was Christ Who performed it. He performed it through the women's faith. It also says in Acts, that soon as the shadow of the holy Apostle Peter fell on the sick, the latter were healed. They even used their cloaks to perform miracles. It's through faith and the grace of the Holy Spirit that miracles (wonders or thavmata) were and are still worked. Naturally, the Saints don't perform miracles themselves: it is the grace of the Holy Spirit residing in them and their things which acts together with people's faith and which performs miracle, cures and all other familiar effects which holy relics and holy icons perform for those who approach them in faith.

And when Saint Paul talks about sins of the flesh, it is because we have a duty to keep our bodies pure and free from any defilement, of any sin, because the body is destined to be glorified, the whole of the body is destined for deification (theosis) and sanctification.

When we are baptized, the whole of us is baptized, because we are sanctified as a unified whole. For this reason, the relics of the departed Christians are always respected and well-preserved. This is also why the Orthodox Church does not accept cremation: not that Christ would have any difficulty in resurrecting the dead who'd been cremated, but rather that the burial and interment of the bodies of the dead is an expression of our faith that the body is sacred and is destined for sanctification and glorification, meanwhile awaiting the resurrection of the dead.

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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
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

The Glorification of the Saints in the Orthodox Church

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 GLORIFICATION OF THE SAINTS IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

The following article was written by Father Joseph Frawley, a member of the Orthodox Church in America's in the April-May 2000 issue of The Orthodox Church Newspaper.

While the glorification of Saints in the Orthodox Church has been taking place for nearly 2000 years, few people today are certain about how this really happens. Does the Church "make" a Saint? Are there special panels which decide who can be a Saint? Are Saints "elected" by a majority vote? Does the person have to perform a certain number of miracles in order to qualify as a Saint? The answer to these questions may be surprising to some.

We know that there are several categories of Saints: Prophets, Evangelists, Martyrs, Ascetics, holy bishops and priests, and those who live a righteous life "in the world." What they all have in common is holiness of life. Three times in the Book of Leviticus (Chapters 11, 19, and 20) God tells us to be holy because He is Holy. We must consecrate ourselves, for we are His people. Saint Peter reiterates this commandment in the New Testament, challenging us to obey God's Commandments and submit our will to His Will (1 Peter 1:16). Everyone is challenged to manifest holiness in their lives, for we all must become saints! This is our special - and common - calling from God. It is not something reserved for the clergy, monastics, or those who are "more pious." Everyone who has been baptized into Christ must live in such a way that Christ lives within us. "Do you not know," Saint Paul asks, "that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwell in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16).

So, the glorification of Saints in the Orthodox Church is a recognition that God's holiness is manifested in the Church through these grace-filled men and women whose lives were pleasing to God. Very early on, the Church recognized the righteous ancestors of Christ (Forefathers), those who predicted His Coming (Prophets), and those who proclaimed the Gospel (Apostles and Evangelists). Then those who risked their lives and shed their blood to bear witness to Christ (Martyrs and Confessors) were also recognized by the Church as Saints. There was no special canonization process, but their holy relics were treasured and the annual anniversaries of their martyrdom were celebrated. Later, the ascetics, who followed Christ through self-denial, were numbered among the Saints. Bishops and priests who proclaimed the True Faith and fought against heresy were added to the list. Finally, those in other walks of life who manifested holiness were recognized as Saints.

While the glorification of a Saint may be initiated because of miracles, is not an absolute necessity for canonization. The Roman Catholic tradition requires three verified miracles in order to recognize someone as a Saint; the Orthodox Church does not require this. There are some Saints, including Saint Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain (+July 14) and Saint Innocent of Moscow (commemorated March 31st), who have not performed any miracles, as far as we know. What is required is a virtuous life of obvious holiness. And a Saint's writings and preaching must be "fully Orthodox," in agreement with the pure faith that we have received from Christ and the Holy Apostles and taught by the Holy Fathers and the Ecumenical Synods (Councils).

Can the Church "make" a Saint? The answer is no. Only God can do that. We glorify those whom God Himself has glorified, seeing in their lives true love for God and their neighbors. The Church merely recognizes that such a person has cooperated with God's grace to the extent that his or her holiness is beyond doubt.

Are Saints "elected" by special panels or by majority vote? Again, the answer is no. Long before an official inquiry into a person's life is made, that person is venerated by the people where he or she lived and died. His or her memory is kept alive by the people who pray for his or her soul or who ask him or her for intercession. Sometimes people will visit his or her grave or have icons painted through their love for the person. A committee, such as the Orthodox Church in America's Canonization Commission, is considered for glorification and to submit a report to the Holy Synod stating its reasons why the person should or should not be recognized as a Saint. Then the Holy Synod decides to number that person among the Saints and have icons painted and liturgical services composed.

The formal Rite of Glorification begins with a final Memorial Service for the person about to be canonized, after which Vespers and Matins with special hymns to the Saint are chanted and the Saint's icon is unveiled. The Saint's life is published and the date of his or her commemoration is established. The other Orthodox Churches are notified of the glorification so that they can place the new Saint's name on their calendars.

Through the prayers of all the Saints, may we be encouraged to follow their example of virtue and holiness. Amen. (Source: Orthodox Church in America)

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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

The Forerunner - August 23 - Eleventh Sunday of Matthew

August 20 - Prophet Samuel

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 AUGUST 20th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE FEAST OF THE HOLY PROPHET SAMUEL

The fifteenth and last of the Judges of Israel, he lived eleven hundred years before Christ. He was of the tribe of Levi, born of Elkanah and Hannah in a place called Ramatha or Arimathea, where noble Joseph was later born. The barren Hannah besought Samuel of the Lord with tears and dedicated him to God when he was three years old. Living in Shiloh near the Ark of the Covenant, Samuel, at the age of twelve, had a true revelation from God of the punishment which would come upon the house of the High Priest, Eli, because of the worthlessness of his sons Hophni and Phineas. This revelation was swiftly fulfilled: the Philistines routed the Israelites, slew both of Eli's sons, and captured the Ark of the Covenant. When the messenger brought these bad tidings to Eli, he fell dead on the ground, breathing his last at the age of ninety-eight, and the same thing happened to his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas. Israel was under the Philistine yoke after this for twenty years. When this time had elapsed, God sent Samuel to the people to preach repentance to them as the one means of their salvation from their enemies. The people repented and cast out the foreign idols which they had served, accepting Samuel as Prophet, Priest, and Judge. Then Samuel set out with the army and slew the Philistines and, with God's help, put them to confusion and slew them, freeing the land and the people. After that, Samuel judged the people in peace to old age. Seeing him growing old, the people asked him to give them a king in his place. In vain, Samuel urged the people against this, saying that God was their only King, but the people remained adamant in their desire. Although this desire was not pleasing to God, He commanded Samuel to anoint Saul the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, as king. Saul reigned a short time, and God rejected him for impudence and disobedience, and then commanded Samuel to anoint David the son of Jesse as king in Saul's place. At the time of his death, Samuel gathered all the people together and took leave of them, and when he died all Israel wept for him and buried him solemnly in his house at Ramah.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Repent before death closes the door of your life and opens the door of the Judgment. Repent before death, and, because you do not know the hour of your death, repent today, this instant, and stop repeating your sins. Saint Ephraim the Syrian prayed to God:

 "Before the wheel of time comes to a stop in my life, have mercy of me! Before the wind of death blows, and sickness, the herald of death, appears in my body, have mercy on me! Before the majestic sun in the heavens becomes darkened for me, have mercy on me, and may Thy Light shine for me from the heavens and drive out the fearful darkness of my mind. Before the earth returns to earth and becomes corruption, and before the destruction of all the features of its beauty, have mercy! Before my sins are revealed at the Judgment to my shame before the Judge, O Most Gracious Lord, have mercy on me! Before the armies come forth, escorting the King's Son, to gather our miserable race together before the Judge's Throne, have mercy! Before the sound of the voice of the trumpet heralds Thy coming, spare Thy servant and have mercy, O our Lord Jesus! Before Thou shuttest Thy door to me, and before I become food for the unquenchable fires of Gehenna, have mercy on me!"

(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