By the time the apostles were preaching the Gospel the most learned pagans had already ceased to believe in their gods. Convinced of the falseness of their idolatrous religion, they sought for truth in the teachings of the ancient philosophers: Plato, Pythagoras, Zenon, Epicurus and others.  Some of these maintained that everything in the world was the result of chance, and they deified the powers of nature; others thought to attain a state of blessedness by means of an indomitable self-will, and while they did not call upon the Creator of the universe, they nevertheless respected virtue; still others sought only earthly pleasures, temporal satisfactions.

Among those who sought for the truth in this maze of different philosophies was an intense youth by the name of Justin. He was born about 100 AD into a pagan family in the Flavian Neapolis or what is now the West Bank city of Nablus in Palestine.  His parents were wealthy and able to provide him a first-class education compatible with his brilliant mind.  Justin soon became enamored of philosophy, attaching himself first to one system, then another, but none of these was able to satisfy his genuine thirst for truth.  His soul yearned for what was absolute, eternal; he was willing to pay any price.

Of the various philosophers he was most drawn to Plato, who had some understanding of divinity and of the immortality of the soul.  Immersing himself in the study of Platonism, Justin often withdrew to some solitary place for the sake of greater concentration.  On one such occasion he was walking along the beach, deep in thought, when he met a venerable elder with whom he entered into conversation. Justin told the elder of his desire to know the truth and he extolled the teaching of Plato. The elder contested his opinion, arguing that man was incapable of attaining knowledge of the truth without help from above.  “Be assured,” he said, “you will not find in the teachings of Plato or any other philosopher, the true wisdom which leads to the knowledge of God. The human mind, which is not instructed by the Holy Spirit and is not enlightened by faith, cannot know God.”

Justin was taken aback.  “Where, then,” he asked the elder, “can I find a teacher who will show me the truth, if, as you claim, it can’t be found in the books of Plato?”

“In ancient times,” began the elder, “long before the philosophers, there lived holy and righteous people who were pleasing to God.  Filled with the Holy Spirit, they foretold future happenings, relaying to the people whatever God revealed to them. Their writings exist even now, illumining the minds of men to a knowledge of the truth, for they were witnesses of the truth.  They believed in God, the Creator of the world, and announced beforehand the coming to earth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.”

On the basis of the Holy Scripture and those prophecies which had already been fulfilled, the elder explained that the teachings of the pagan philosophers were far from perfect, and that only in Christianity  was the fullness of truth to be found:

“Pray to the true God,” advised the elder, “that He might open for you the doors of light, for without God’s help no one is capable of coming to an understanding of what is divine, but He reveals the truth to everyone who seeks it with prayer, and who turns to Him with love.”

After conversing at some length the elder departed. “I never saw him again,” wrote Justin later in describing his conversion, “but in my soul there was ignited a love for the prophets and holy men who are friends of Christ.  In deliberating over what the elder had said, I understood that the only true wisdom was that which he had told me about.  I began to study the books of the prophets and the apostles, and finally became a real philosopher, that is, a Christian.”

Not satisfied with studying Christian books, Justin wanted to know how the Christians lived. The pagans circulated the most scandalous rumors concerning their behavior and manner of life, accusing the Christians of criminal activity and immorality.  The gross discrepancy between such behavior and the purity of Christian teaching troubled Justin. When, however, he became acquainted with the Christian community, he saw that these rumors were but malicious and baseless fabrications.   In fact, he found their behavior to be exemplary, combining meekness, charity and patience with firmness of faith and spirit. “What most impressed me,” wrote Justin, “was the courage of these Christians, and the tranquility with which they endured tortures in confessing their faith.”

Convinced of the truth of Christianity, Justin was baptized and himself began to preach the word of God, travelling around and propagating the Christian faith in various cities of the Empire, until he came to Rome.  He wore the traditional robe which identified him as a philosopher, and soon attracted enough students to warrant the establishment of a school where he tried to instill Christian values.

The emperor at that time, Antoninus Pius, persecuted the Christians, not because he held anything against their teaching, but because he believed the slanders which were spread about them.  In order to refute these charges, St. Justin addressed to the Emperor an Apology (c. 150 AD), in which he elucidated the essence of the Christian teaching and defended the Christians as moral, law-abiding citizens. He likewise sought to banish the terrible rumors that circulated about the Christian Eucharist. By simply explaining what the Eucharist was all about, he provided one of the earliest descriptions of the Divine Liturgy and its theology.   He says, in part:

“We call this food Eucharist; and no one else is permitted to partake of it except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration [Baptism], and is thereby living as Christ has enjoined.  For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Saviour was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so, too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is both the Flesh and Blood of that incarnated Jesus.”

Leaving Rome for a time, St. Justin came to Ephesus. There he entered into debate with a learned rabbi by the name of Trypho whom he tried to convince of the truth of Christianity, basing his arguments on the Jewish writings and the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the coming to earth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  He later recorded the Dialogue, which has survived as a model of a missionary conversation.

Returning to Rome after the philosopher Marcus Arelius had become emperor, St. Justin discovered that the persecution of Christians had resumed. The following case was typical.   The wife of a certain pagan had begun to take instruction in the Christian faith, for which her husband had the catechist and two sympathizers arrested and executed.  Protesting this immoral vengeance, St. Justin wrote a second Apology, essentially a continuation of the first, in which he demonstrated the superiority of Christianity over paganism; the practical benefit to society alone recommended it: “We who formerly delighted in fornication now cleave only to chastity.  We who exercised the magic arts now consecrate ourselves to the good and unbegotten God. We who valued above all else the acquisition of wealth and property now direct all that we have to a common fund, which is shared with every needy person. We who hated and killed one another, and who, because of differing customs, would not share a fireside with those of another race, now, after the appearance of Christ, live together with them. We pray for our enemies, and try to persuade those who unjustly hate us that, if they live according to the excellent precepts of Christ, they will have a good hope of receiving the same reward as ourselves, from the God Who governs all.”

This time, St. Justin’s arguments failed to have the desired effect, and soon thereafter (c. 165 AD), the Saint himself fell beneath the executioner’s sword.  According to one account it was the pagan Greek philosopher Criscens who, bitterly resentful of St. Justin for having repeatedly defeated him in debates, brought him before the Roman prefect on charges of treason and impiety.  When it appeared that the courts were going to acquit the Saint, Criscens arranged for him to be poisoned.

References to numerous works by St. Justin in the writings of other early Church Fathers indicate that he was a prolific writer.  Only the Apology and the Dialogue have come down to us, and they are considered among the most valuable sources for students of early Christian history.  They have also established St. Justin’s reputation as the founder of the science of Christian apologetics.

The Martyr’s holy remains are located in a Capuchin monastery in Rome, awaiting the General Resurrection. He is commemorated by the Church on June 1.

With today’s proliferation of false religions and false gods, each one of us must be an informed apologist for the Faith.  Holy Martyr Justin, help us, pray for us.

The icon reproduced here was painted by Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, another Boston suburb, and is available as a print. On the back of the print appers the following brief Life:

Saint Botolph was born in England around 610. In his youth he became a monk in Gaul. By 654 he had returned to England and founded the monastery of Ikanhoe in East Anglia-thereafter, the place came to be called “Botolphston” (from either “Botolph’s stone” or “Botolph’s town”), which was later contracted to “Boston”. Having led many in the way of salvation, and renowned for his sanctity and miracles, Saint Botolph reposed around the year 680. He was greatly revered by his Christian countrymen in antiquity, and is commemorated to this day in the name of two cities, both the original Boston in the Lincolnshire fens (about 100 miles north of London), and likewise its namesake in the New World, in Massachusetts. The feast of St. Botolph is celebrated June 17.

For a renowned Church Father, St. Cyril’s Life is constructed on surprisingly meager details. According to the Greek Menaion, Cyril was “born of pious parents, professing the orthodox Faith, and to have been bred up in the same, in the reign of Constantine.” The year of his birth is generally given as 315 and the location in or around Jerusalem, for it was customary to choose a bishop from among the local clergy, a man already known and respected by the people over whom he would assume spiritual authority. His youth coincided with the height of Arian domination and the rediscovery of the Holy Sepulchre in 326, when Jerusalem, a relatively poor community, began moving into prominence. In 335 Constantine’s magnificent Church of the Resurrection was dedicated and Cyril, a new deacon, undoubtedly took part in the ceremonies. The principal celebrants were Arians, who had just deposed their vigorous opponent, St. Athanasius, in a council at Tyre. The Church at Jerusalem, however, never embraced Arianism. Bishop Macarius, and his successor Maximus who ordained Cyril to the priesthood in 345, were both staunchly Nicaean. And when, on Maximus’ death in 350, Cyril succeeded him as bishop, he continued to guide the Church at Jerusalem from this position.

Meanwhile, Bishop Acacius of neighboring Caesarea had been drawn into the Arian camp. This conflict between the two hierarchs was sharpened by the resentment Acacius felt when Cyril disputed Caesarea’s jurisdiction over Jerusalem, now an established center of pilgrimage and sprouting monastic communities. In 357 Acacius successfully maneuvered to have Cyril deposed. Banished for two years, Cyril went to Tarsus, where he associated with Basil of Ancyra, a champion of Nicaea. There, too, he won the hearts of the people with his preaching. Cyril was banished a second time in 360, returning after the accession of Julian in 361, when all exiled bishops were recalled. Nothing is known of his third period of banishment, from 367 to 378, under the Arian Emperor Valens. In 381 Cyril went to Constantinople as one of 150 Church Fathers who took part in the Second Ecumenical Council. He died peacefully on March 18, 386, remembered by the Church as a great ascetic and uncompromising champion of the true Faith. St. Cyril’s principle claim to fame, however, rests on his catechetical lectures. These form a systematic course of instruction which he developed as a priest assigned to prepare candidates for baptism. Essentially practical, highly biblical, direct and noble in tone, they reflect St. Cyril’s sincere pastoral concern. Their primary purpose is not to discuss or examine, nor to defend, but to impart knowledge of the Faith. Very striking here is the thoroughness of this preparation and the seriousness with which entry into the Church was regarded. Even before being made catechumens, candidates were strictly examined as to their character, belief and sincerity of purpose. The probationary period varied, lasting about two years.

At the heart of these lectures is a perfectly balanced emphasis on God’s transcendence and the ineffable wonder and dignity of the heavenly citizenship conferred through Baptism on the one hand, and man’s essential responsibility for genuine repentance and good works on the other. St. Cyril skillfully prepares his listeners in his Introductory Lecture, by turns sobering and exalting, which emphasizes at the outset the need for a sustained purpose. Taken from this lecture, the following passages are characteristic of the Saint’s teaching.

§ He lieth not who said, that to them that love God all things work together for good. God is lavish in beneficence, yet He waits for each man’s genuine will: therefore the Apostle added and said, to them that are called according to a purpose (Rom. 8:28). The honesty of purpose makes thee called: for if thy body be here but not thy mind, it profiteth thee nothing..

§ Let none of you be found tempting His grace.

§ …beware lest thou have the title of “faithful” but the will of the faithless. Thou hast entered into a contest, toil on through the race: another such opportunity thou canst not have.

§ Attend closely to the catechisings, and though we should prolong our discourse, let not thy mind be wearied out. For thou art receiving armor against the adverse power, armor against heresies… Thou hast many enemies; take to thee many darts, for thou hast many to hurl them at… And the armor is ready, and most ready the sword of the Spirit; but thou also must stretch forth thy right hand with good resolution, that thou mayest war the Lord’s warfare.

§ Great is the Baptism that lies before you: a ransom to captives; a remission of offences; a death of sin; a new-birth of the soul; a garment of light; a holy indissoluble seal; a chariot to heaven; the delight of Paradise; a welcome into the kingdom; the gift of adoption! But there is a serpent by the wayside watching those who pass by: beware lest he bite thee with unbelief…

§ We for our part as men charge and teach you thus: but make not yet our building hay and stubble and chaff, lest we suffer loss, from our work being burnt up: but make ye our work gold and silver, and precious stones! For it lies in me to speak, but in thee to set thy mind upon it, and in God to make perfect.

The first two lectures stress the need for thorough repentance and hope in the remission of sins: “Cleanse thy vessel that thou mayest receive grace more abundantly …thorny ground also, if cultivated well, is turned fruitful.” In the third lecture, “On Baptism”, St. Cyril impresses on his audience that “this is no light matter, no ordinary and indiscriminate union according to the flesh, but the All-searching Spirit’s election according to faith…Each one of you is about to be presented to God before tens of thousands of the Angelic Hosts: the Holy Spirit is about to seal your souls: ye are to be enrolled in the army of the Great King. Therefore make you ready…that thou mayest become an heir of God, and joint-heir with Christ.”

The next lecture provides “a short summary of necessary doctrines,” carrying brief statements concerning the Oneness of God, Christ as the Only-begotten Son, His Birth of the Virgin, the Cross, His Burial, Resurrection and Ascension, the Judgment to Come, the Soul (“the noblest work of God”), the Body, Fasting, Baptism, the Scriptures. Following another general lecture, “On Faith,” St. Cyril launches into a series of thirteen lectures explaining in greater detail the successive articles of the Jerusalem Creed, which the candidates were required to recite by memory at the time of their baptism.

A second series of five lectures was delivered on Bright Monday to the newly-baptized. Here the Saint initiates them, as it were, into the knowledge of those rites which they have experienced for themselves for the first time, having been strictly required as catechumens to leave the church after the reading of the Gospel and the exclamation, “Catechumens, depart!” The Saint explains to his “true-born” listeners the actual rites of baptism and chrismation, the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Faithful, with particular attention to the Lord’s Prayer. His joy at thus welcoming the new Christians is unmistakable. These five lectures are particularly valuable to us today in documenting the liturgical practices of the early Church, providing stunning evidence of Orthodoxy’s ancient liturgical roots. Indeed, it is thrilling to read a fourth-century text that so closely accords with our experience today.

The lectures give one to understand that the course was not limited to candidates for baptism. Those already baptized also came to be edified. Even today, these lectures should be required study for potential converts, while those of us who are already baptized would likewise do well to avail ourselves of these clear streams of living water, to strengthen our faith with knowledge and refresh our sense of awe at the great mystery of our salvation. We owe a great debt to St. Cyril who, through laboring on these lectures, found lasting favor with God and man.

If you would like to to read St. Cyril’s Catechical Lectures for yourself, you can find them at The Christian Classics Library. (opens a new window)

Saint Sampson, a Roman, was born of illustrious and wealthy parents, who gave him a good education and from early childhood instilled in him a love for God and a desire to follow the Lord’s commandments. Loving his neighbor, as the Lord teaches us, Sampson studied medicine in order to help sick people. The Lord blessed his good intent and granted him miraculous power to cure all kinds of illness.

When his parents died, Sampson was left with a large fortune which he used for the good of his neighbor. He gave freedom to all his slaves, gave generous donations to charity, received and fed the poor and homeless. He loved solitude but his chief desire was to serve his neighbor and he therefore settled in the city of Constantinople. There he built a house where poor people, sick people and pilgrims always found welcome. He himself tended to the sick and, by the power of God, he worked many miracles. Out of humility he tried to conceal these cases of God’s special mercy towards him, but nevertheless his holy life became known, and the patriarch ordained him to the priesthood.

It happened that Emperor Julian, who reigned at that time, became gravely ill. The efforts of all the best doctors could do nothing. Then Sampson, through the power of God, healed him. The grateful emperor said to him, “Ask whatever reward you wish of me; take money, land.”

“I don’t need wealth,” answered Sampson. “I had it myself and willingly gave it away; but if you should like to repay me with a favor, then order the building of a house for the sick and poor. In this way you will please God and make me very happy as well.”

The Emperor fulfilled Sampson’s wish and built a spacious hospital and house for lodging pilgrims. He appointed Sampson the director. It should be noted that such institutions were unknown to the pagans. They built grandiose edifices, temples to their gods, palaces, theaters, circuses, whose ruins amaze us even today by their enormous size. They spent huge amounts of money on luxury and pleasures, but nowhere do we see that they tried to ease the lot of the sick and suffering. Christ gave us a commandment to love our neighbor; He taught us to consider each person as our brother, and to serve and help one another. In His life on earth, He Himself showed us an example of what we should do, for He was constantly doing good for people. To emulate our Divine Teacher, to be like Him as much as possible, should be our principal concern in life, if we love our Lord Jesus Christ and wish to be true Christians. And the Lord will help us. In doing good-not for money or thanks but out of love for Christ-we shall find unspeakable happiness and peace for our souls.

Saint Sampson worked untiringly until he grew quite old. He departed peacefully to the Lord in 530. Many miracles occurred at his grave and in the hospital he built.

(Translated from Selected Lives of Saints compiled by A. N. Bakhmeteva, Moscow 1872.)

St. Alexander was an archpastor (rural bishop) in the time of the most holy Mitrofan, the first Patriarch of Constantinople. [ruled as Patriarch from 315 to 325] This Alexander was richly adorned with all manner of good works. When the First Ecumenical Council was called in Nicea, Alexander was sent to the Council as a zealous champion of piety, for Patriarch Mitrofan was unable to attend the Council by reason of his great age and bodily infirmities. Acting as the Patriarch’s representative, Alexander zealously defended the Orthodox Faith against the impious Anus. When the Council had finished its work, and Alexander was already on his way back to Constantinople,. an angel of the Lord appeared to blessed Mitrofan and said:

“In ten days shalt thou receive a crown from God. Let thy servant Alexander ascend the Patriarchal throne after thee…”

The righteous Emperor Constantine, together with many fathers of the Church, came to the most holy Patriarch Mitrofan who was already on his death-bed. When asked whom he blessed to receive the Patriarchal throne after him,. Mttrofan answered:

“The Lord has revealed to me that my servant Alexander, truly worthy to be chosen and worthy of the Gift of the Holy Spirit, shall have the throne after me.”

As Patriarch of Constantinople, Alexander shepherded Christ’s rational flock with diligence, driving off the wolves-heretics and pagan Hellenes, for it was not only against the Arians, but also against the pagan philosophers that Alexander had to wage a great struggle

Once certain of’ the pagan philosophers were .emboldened to persuade the Emperor that in rejecting the ancient faith of his fathers, and also Roman and Greek laws., he had taken on some new faith and new laws which, they claimed, had led to the decline of the Empire. The philosophers received the Emperor’s consent to enter into a debate on faith with Bishop Alexander, Although not learned in pagan philosophy, God’s luminary Alexander was filled with the Holy Spirit and he did not shrink from the debate

 When the philosophers had gathered in great number, they chose from among themselves one whom they considered to be the wisest. The latter was presented to the holy one while the rest prepared to listen attentively. Beginning the debate, the most holy Patriarch Alexander said to the philosopher:

“In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ , I command you to be silent!”

Immediately the philosopher lost his tongue and became dumb, so that he could not utter a single word.

All the assembled philosophers became frightened and ashamed; some of them fled in disgrace, while others came to believe in Christ. The very philosopher who had lost the gift of speech, let it be known through signs that he acknowledged his error and confessed the Christian faith to be the true one. He fell at the feet of the holy one and immediately his tongue was loosened and he began glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ far everyone to hear. Afterwards he was baptized together with other friends of his. The Emperor and all the faithful rejoiced at this event, and all glorified Cod1 Who had given such miraculous power to His saint.

Upon another occasion St; Alexander vanquished the impious Arius with his prayer. It happened that a few years after the First Ecumenical Council, the heretic Arius was called to Constantinople. Here he cunningly deceived the pious Emperor Constantine in the following manner: Constantine asked Arius whether he believed as the Holy Fathers of the Nicean Council had decreed. Having concealed on his breast a document on which he had written his own false creed, Anus struck himself on the breast and declared: “This is what I believe!”

Thus, to all appearances the heretic ostensibly expressed his agreement with the doctrine affirmed at Nicaea. Inwardly, however, he believed that which he had written with his own hand and which was concealed on his breast. And the deceiver swore before the Emperor, saying this is what he believed.

Not suspecting such wickedness, the Emperor believed Arius’ words and sent him to the holy Patriarch Alexander, directing him to receive Arius into communion with the Church as an Orthodox Christian.  At the same time a certain Sunday was designated on which Arius was to be brought into the cathedral to be joined together with the faithful. St. Alexander, however, refused to receive Arius because he was the founder of a heresy.

Meanwhile; Saturday came and Sunday was approaching. On Saturday night, the archpastor of God gave himself over to prayer before the altar. With tears he prayed to God to take the very soul from his body so that he would not see. the day wherein Arius would be restored to the Church and to the partaking of the Holy Mysteries; or else, having pity on His Church, to strike Arius from the midst of the living.

St Alexander spent the whole night in prayer. Morning came and the time for Liturgy drew nigh. Arius emerged from the royal palace with great pride and directed his steps toward the cathedral; he was surrounded by imperial officials who were in a agreement with his heresy and by a multitude of men-at-arms.

When Arius approached the place which is called “the market-place of Constantine,” (here stood a marble column surmounted by a statue of the Emperor), his stricken conscience began to trouble him and he was seized with fear. Because of this fear, he felt an urgency to satisfy a bodily need and began to look for some hidden place. Not far was just such a place for public use. Entering therein, Arius was suddenly stricken with an acute internal disorder. As with Judas, the belly of the wicked one burst open and his insides spilled forth  In this horrible way the heretic perished.

Those who were standing nearby and waiting for Arius to come out, seeing that he did not come out after a long interval, themselves went in to get him and found him lying dead in the midst of filth and blood. Immediately the news spread throughout the city of the terrible and unexpected death of Anus. The heretics were put to shame, while the Orthodox rejoiced that Christ the True God had taken vengeance on His enemy and blasphemer. And even more did the holy Patriarch Alexander give thanks to Christ God that He had taken pity on His Church and saved her from that ravenous wolf.

The pious Emperor Constantine the Great, learning of Arius’ death,. became even more firmly established in the Faith and defended the dogmas of the Council of Nicaea to the very end of his days.

Such was the power before God of the righteous prayer of God’s great archpastor Alexander. Like a sharp sword it slew God’s enemy and secured the triumph of the Orthodox Church. St. Gregory the Theologian recalled this later on in his address to the people of Constantinople:

“In truth I tell you that you are disciples of the praiseworthy Alexander, that zealous champion and confessor of the Holy Trinity, who with word and deed took up arms against heretical delusion. You remember his apostolic prayer through which he destroyed the founder and leader of the heretics in a place fit for a godless he a then, in order to pay back disgrace for disgrace, and in order that, through a justly merited dishonorable death, the mortal evil of heresy, which had ruined many souls, would be made manifest forever.”

St. Alexander shepherded the Church of Christ for a number of years until he reached a ripe old age. When he lay dying, his flock gathered. around their shepherd and asked:

“To whom wilt thou leave us, thy children, father? Whom dost thou set as our shepherd instead of thee; who will be able, following in thy footsteps, to firmly guide the Church?”

Alexander, pointing to two just men- namely, Paul the Presbyter and Macedonius the Deacon, answered and said:

“If you would have a wise shepherd, adorned with good works, then choose Paul; if you would have a shepherd who is fair to behold shining with external beauty, then, choose Macedonius.”

Having said this, the holy Patriarch Alexander passed away to the Lord, having lived 98 years from his birth. After him, the throne was occupied by St. Paul, the first Patriarch of Constantinople with this title (his memory is celebrated on November 6th).  

(Translated from St. Dimitri Rostov’s Lives of Saints by John Hudanish; slightly abridged.)

In France 500 years after Christ’s birth, there lived a shepherd girl with a blooming faith in her heart, the very same faith which budded in the hearts of the Judean shepherds who followed the star to the Lord’s manger- bed.

Born into a wealthy family, the young Genevieve watched her family’s flock as a matter of custom rather than need. Their home was in ‘the lovely hill-country of Nanterre outside Paris. And in it Genevieve’s soul was nourished with the Gospel message, the icons which illumined it, and the example of her parents’ peaceful and pious lives.

One day the holy Bishop Germanus came to Nanterre and the people flocked to him as to a living iconof Christ. As he blessed the crowd, his eye fell upon the child Genevieve; his heart recognized the flame of love for God in her and he knew God intended to crown it with Divine Grace and unshakable faith. He called her to him, kissed her head, and told her parents that many would come to Christ because of her. Then he asked her, quite seriously, if she wished to dedicate her whole life to Christ, as a bride. And just as seriously little Genevieve replied that he had spoken exactly the desire of her heart. They entered the church for Vespers together and the Bishop rested his hand on her head until the end of the service.

The next morning the holy Bishop presented her with a medallion engraved with a cross and asked her never to wear another ornament but the Ornament of God’s Grace through the Holy Spirit. With that, he gave his blessing to the townspeople and left Nanterre.At fifteen Genevieve was consecrated to the monastic life. When her parents died she went to live in a monastic community in Paris. The Evil One wasted no time in stirring up words against her, but the kindly Bishop Germanus treated her warmly in the sight of all and spoiled the Devil’s plan to be rid of her quickly.

For the rest of her life the people of Paris wavered in their loyalty to her. One month they brought their sick to her for prayers and glorified God when their loved ones recovered. The next month the Wicked One sowed little seeds of evil in their ears and thoughts and they wanted to stone her. To his dying day her friend the Bishop stuck by her and even from his deathbed sent a message where- by she found favor with the people once again. As a reward for their repentance and because of Genevieve’s heartfelt prayers and fastings with her sisters, God turned away an invading army and spared the city of Paris.

In her later life the Saint showed great compassion and steadfastness as Bishop Germanus had foretold. Once a pagan king, de siring to kill some prisoners, tried to do it before Genevieve could hear about it. He knew that if she begged for their lives he could not resist her pleas. But God told her about it and she rushed to the execution just in time to have the prisoners spared. People saw from this example that the prayers of this Saint must be very powerful before the king of Mercies is even a pagan king could not resist them.

One night in a violent rainstorm, the only lantern of Genevieve and her sisters blew out in the pitch dark of the muddy woods. Our Saint signed the lamp with the Cross of the Lord and a bright flame crowned the candle lighting their way to early morning Liturgy.

St. Genevieve reposed at a great age and her relics rest in the Church of St. Stephen in Paris, France.

Original Life in Orthodox Life, Dec. 1971; adapted for children by Agafeya Prince

One of the most beloved and popular of all Serbian saints is the holy Bishop Vasilije (Basil), the wonderworker of the monastery of Ostrov in Montenegro. St. Vasilije was born in the early half of the 17th century in a small village of nearby Herzegovina. The pious young man later entered the Monastery of the Dormition at Trebinje where he began his life of asceticism. Soon his life of struggle and holiness became generally known and, despite his protests, he was chosen as bishop of Zahum and Skadar. As bishop he continued his austere life and became famous far and wide for his deeds of charity and kindness.

St. Vasilije is perhaps best known for his extraordinary acts of asceticism and loving- kindness. Indeed, he is perhaps the most well-known of all Serbian ascetics. But he was also a confessor for Holy Orthodoxy, constantly opposing the Latin heresy which threatened the Serbian lands from the Venetian occupied regions of the Adriatic coast.

After the destruction of the monastery a t Tverdosh, his episcopal see, St. Vasilije fled to the rugged mountains of Montenegro, where he took up an even stricter life of asceticism and solitude in a cave at a place called.Ostrog. And there, through his labors, prayers and guidance, he directed his diocese, comforting and protecting his flock from both the errors of the Latins and the savagery of the Turks.

At this time, the saint’s fame began to spread once more, and he became known as a miracle worker even in his lifetime. Many monks began to gather around him as. their elder, and a monastery was formed.

The holy bishop reposed on April 29 (o.s.), on the feast of the Nine Holy Martyrs of Cyzicus, in the year 1671. Soon thereafter, his holy remains began to issue forth a sweet scent, and many miracles were worked in their presence. Since that time, the holy relics of the wonderworker have become the site of many pilgrimages. And these pilgrims are comprised not only of the Orthodox faithful: even the Moslem ;.Turks and Albanians venerate the holy one, for he has shown favor also to them when they approach him in fear and humility. And St. Vasilije is respected even by the communists who fear him and know the power of his memory among the people, as one of them , Milovan Djilas, testifies in one of his books.

In the fourth century, the pagan Roman Emperor Maximian cruelly persecuted those who believed in Christ~ He came together with his soldiers to the city of Nicomedia in Asia Minor. There it was reported that in a certain cave Christians were hiding, and that they sang and prayed the whole night to their God. Immediately Maximian sent his soldiers to seize these Christians, The soldiers did as they were commanded, The Christians were beaten and brought in iron chains to the place of judgment, One of the chiefs of the judgment place, a young man by the name of Adrian, seeing how patiently and how wi11ing1y the Christians suffered for their faith, asked what reward they expected to receive from their God for such tortures.’ The holy martyrs replied: “It is written in Scripture that ‘eye hath not seen, nor hath ear heard, nor hath it entered the heart of man those things which God hath prepared for those who love Him'” (I Cor. 2:9). Hearing these words, Adrian declared that he too wished to be a Christian and was willing to die together with them for Christ. For this: he was also thrown into prison.

When Adrian’ s young wife Natalie was told of her husband’s conversion to Christ and of his imprisonment, instead of being sad, she greatly rejoiced for she was secretly a Christian herself and she knew the joy which now filled her husband’s heart. She ran to the prison and, falling down at the feet of her husband, she kissed his chains and said, “Blessed are you, my Adrian; you have found such a treasure.” When Adrian was brought before the Emperor and threatened with torture if he did not worship the pagan gods, his godly-minded wife Natalie and the other martyrs encouraged him saying: “Having been found worthy to carry your own cross and to follow Christ, take care that you do not turn back and lose your eternal reward.”

Adrian had always faithfully served his earthly king, but now he was to serve the King of Heaven. He courageously endured the tortures and was returned to the prison. There Natalie, together with Other pious women, would come and help the prisoners, cleaning and bandaging their wounded bodies. When the cruel Emperor found out about this, he forbade them to visit the prison. But the blessed Natalie had such love for the sufferers that she cut her hair and put on men’s clothing.. In this disguise she was able to enter the prison.

Day after day the holy martyrs endured such cruel and severe tortures that they were barely alive. The Emperor became angry that even under such tortures they would not deny their God. Finally he ordered for them a violent death. Their arms and legs were cut off and their bodies were thrown into a fire to be burned so that none of the Christians might gather their precious remains~ But just at that moment, there burst forth thunder and lightning and a powerful rain which put out the fire. Natalie, together with other Christians took the bodies of the holy martyrs from the fire and rejoiced to see that God had preserved them from harm. A faithful Christian man and his wife then took the holy relics to Constantinople where they could be safely kept until the death of the impious Emperor.

After a certain time, a pagan nobleman desired to marry Natalie who was still young and beautiful. She cried and begged God to save her from this union with an unbeliever. Having prayed fervently, St. Natalie fell from exhaustion and sorrow into a light sleep during which the holy martyrs appeared to her in a vision and said, “Peace be unto you. God has not forgotten your labors. We shall pray that you will come to us soon. Get on a ship and go to the place where our bodies are and the Lord will make Himself known to you.”

Following their directions, the blessed Natalie reached Constantinople and going to the church where the bodies of the holy martyrs lay, she fell down before them and prayed. She was so tired from the journey that she fell asleep and saw in a dream her husband St. Adrian, who said to her, “Come my beloved, and enjoy the reward of your labors.” Very soon after this St. Natalie died peacefully in her sleep. Although she did not shed her own blood, she is numbered among the martyrs for having co-suffered with them, serving and encouraging them in their heroic struggles for the sake of Christ.

+1966-1981

What better description could be found to portray the essence of a man whose love for Christ drew him to such heights of spiritual perfection that he enkindled the faith of thousands from East to West? The life of Archbishop John Maximovitch demonstrates more vividly than any words that true Christianity far exceeds the bounds of human “goodness”. Here is a shining reflection of the supernatural love of God which works miracles, a living proof that the burning faith of the early Christian saints s till warms the earth at a time when the love of many has grown cold.

Archbishop John did not isolate himself from the world, but he was not of this world. First and foremost he was-a man of prayer. He completely surrendered himself to God, presenting himself as a “living sacrifice” and he became a true vessel of the Holy Spirit. His work as an apostle, missionary, and -niracle worker continue even now, fifteen years after his blessed repose.

(By those who loved him, Archbishop John ‘,;as known simply as Vladika, a term used by Russians in addressing bishops, which carries a sense of endearment. It is used in the following account for want of an English equivalent.)

This saint of the latter times was born June 4, 1896 in the province of Kharkov in southern Russia. At baptism he was given the name Michael. As a child he was serious for his years and he later wrote:

“From the first days when I began to become aware of myself, I wished to serve righteousness and truth. My parents kindled in me a striving to stand unwaveringly for the truth, and my soul was captivated by the example of those who had given their lives for it.”

Following the desire of his parents, he entered law school in Kharkov. He was a naturally gifted student but spent more time reading Lives of Saints than attending academic lectures. “While studying the worldly sciences,” he wrote, “I went all the more deeply into the study of the science of sciences, into the study of the spiritual life.”

After the Revolution, he was evacuated together with his family to Belgrade where he entered the faculty of theology at the University. In 1926, a year after his graduation, he was tonsured a monk and given the name John, after his own distant relative, St. John of Tobolsk. In November of that same year, he was ordained hieromonk. Soon he became a teacher at the Serbian Seminary of St. John the Theologian at Bitol. More than once the bishop there would say, “If you wish to see a living saint, go to Fr. John.”

Ascetic 

It was his own students who first became aware of Vladika’s great feat of asceticism. At night they noticed that Vladika would stay up, making the rounds of-the dormitories and praying over the sleeping students. “Finally it was discovered that he scarcely slept at all, and never in a bed, allowing himself only an hour or two each night of uncomfortable rest in a sitting position, or bent over on the floor, praying before icons,” This ascetic feat he continued for the rest of his life, bringing his body “into subjection” according to the Apostle (I Cot. 9:27). 

At the age of 38 he was elevated to the episcopate and sent to Shanghai. There he restored Church unity, took an active interest in the religious education of youth, encouraged and participated in various charitable organizations, founded an orphanage, and himself gathered sick and starving children off the streets. He always wore clothing of the cheapest Chinese fabric and often went barefoot, sometimes having given his sandals away to some poor man. Vladika celebrated Divine Liturgy and received Holy Communion daily, as he did for the rest of his life.

Wonderworker

In Shanghai it became evident that Vladika was not only a righteous man, but a true ascetic, a man of prayer and a wonderworker.

“Once in Shanghai Vladika John was asked to the bed of a dying child, whose case had been called hopeless by the physicians. Entering the apartment, Vladika John went straight to the room in which the sick boy lay, although no one had managed yet to show him where this was. Without examining the child, · Vladika immediately ‘fell down’ in front of the icon in the corner, which was very characteristic of him, and prayed for a long time. Then, assuring the relatives that the child would recover, he quickly left. And in fact the child became better towards morning and he soon recovered, so that a physician was no longer needed.”

Vladika loved to visit the sick and if the condition of a patient would become critical, he would go to him at any hour of the day or night to pray at his bedside. There were cases when patient s would cry out to Vladika in the middle of the night from their hospital beds, and from the other end of the city Vladika would come.

Man of Prayer 

With the coming of the communists, the Russians in China were forced once again to flee, most through the Philippines. At one, time 5000 of the refugees were living in an International Refuge Organization camp on the island of Tubabao, located of the path of the seasonal typhoons.

“When the fear of typhoons was mentioned by one Russian to the Filipinos, they replied that there was no reason to worry, because “your holy man blesses your camp from four directions every night.’ They referred to Vladika John, for no typhoon struck the island while he was there.”

In trying to resettle his flock, Vladika went to Washington, and through his intervention, almost the whole camp was miraculously able to come to America–including his orphanage.

In 1951 Vladika was sent to Western Europe. Here too his reputation for holiness spread–and not only among the Orthodox:

“In one of the Catholic churches of Paris, a priest strove to inspire his young people with these words: ‘You demand proofs, you say that now there are neither miracles nor saints. Why should I give you theoretical proofs, when today there walks in the streets of Paris a saint–Saint Jean Nus Pieds (St. John the Barefoot).'”

Finally, in 1962, Vladika was sent to San Francisco in response to the urgent request of thousands of Russians who had known him in Shanghai. The Russian community was bitterly divided over the building of a new cathedral, and “under Vladika’s guidance a measure of peace was restored, the paralysis of the community ended, and the cathedral was finished.”

Alive after Death 

On June 19 (July 2, n.s.), 1966, during a visit to Seattle with the wonder-working Kursk icon of the Mother of God, Vladika peacefully gave his soul to the Lord Whom he had served so faithfully during his earthly life. His unembalmed body was flown to San Francisco where for 6 days it lay in the cathedral in an open coffin, while thousands of the faithful came to say their last farewell to the beloved archpastor. Even after the sixth day it was noticed that there was no sign of decay.

“From the first day of the vigil it was apparent that this was to be no ordinary farewell to the departed, not even for a hierarch. There was a sense of being present at the unfolding of a mystery: the mystery of holiness. Those present were devoutly convinced that they had come to bury a saint.”

Archbishop John was laid to rest in a small basement chapel under the altar of the cathedral after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors amended the City law to permit the burial of prelates in their cathedrals. His sepulchre has become a place of pilgrimage for many hundreds of people in need of his strong intercession before the throne of God. The many cases of answered prayer only confirm Vladika’s words to one of his devoted servants when, after his death, he appeared to her in a dream and said: “Tell the people: although I have died, I am alive!”

Now, on the 15th anniversary of Blessed John’s repose., let us give thanks to God that such a bright lamp has so recently shone in our midst., and even now continues to illumine the true path of salvation. By his prayers may we too be found worthy to walk on that path which is “the way of holines s” (I s. 35: 8).

Wondrous is God in His saint!

(Above quotations from Blessed John, St. Herman of Alaska Press)

In my last letter I wrote about the early false teaching called Gnosticism. I explained about St. Irenaeus of Lyons, an early Church Father (140–202 AD) who helped to combat this error, drew up a list of Holy Scriptures, and also demonstrated that the Church founded by Christ is the authority for every Christian.

In this letter I would like to tell you about another great Father, St. Athanasius (293-373 AD), and the Church’s battle for the doctrine of the Trinity.

Today we take for granted the Church’s teaching concerning the Trinity: so did the Orthodox believers of the first two centuries. They baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, just as Christ commanded; they knew that Christ was the Son of God and God, distinct from the Father and the Holy Spirit, but that all were equally One–a great mystery of faith.

About the year 180, however, a serious error appeared, called Adoptionism. According to this false teaching, Christ was not really God at all, but only a man who had been “adopted” by God! Still another group, the Sabellians, believed that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were but different “aspects” or manifestations of the one God. In other words, it was God the Father Who dwelt in the womb, becoming the Son at birth, etc. These dangerous ideas were of course purely human inventions, completely alien to the faith of Christians; but they prepared the way for an even more terrible heresy.

Around the year 318 the priest, Arius of Alexandria, ‘and his followers (called Arians) began to preach a false Christ. According to Arius, Jesus Christ was only a creature, the first creation of God, through whom all else was made. This Christ was superior to all other created things, including the Holy Spirit, but He was also inferior to God the Father. Arianism was to disturb the Orthodox Church of Christ for several decades. (How many people today are actually Adoptionists, Sabellians, or Arians in a new disguise !)

In the city of Nicea in Bithynia, in the summer of 325, a universal Council of the Church convened to discuss Arianism and other topics. Eighteen hundred bishops were invited from all the corners of Christendom, but only 318 were able to make the arduous and, in some cases, quite long journey to Nicea. Some of these were men who had suffered persecution and torture for the faith under the pagan Emperors. Presiding over them was ‘St. Hosius of Cordova, Spain. Among those in attendance were Arius, and the deacon, Athanasius. In the center of the council hall was placed a throne holding a copy of the sacred Gospels

After prolonged debate between the Arians and the Orthodox, led by Arius and Athanasius, Bishop Hosius announced that the Council would draw up a statement of beliefs–a Creed–in order to clearly state the faith of Christianity. The first draft was submitted by Arian bishops, and rejected. Finally, the first part of what came to be called the “Nicene Creed,” recited in every Divine Liturgy to this day, was adopted by the Council.

This first universal Council specifically anathematized Arianism. The Holy Spirit had spoken to the Church through the assembled Fathers. As St. Athanasius himself proclaimed: “The word of the Lord, which was given at the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, remaineth for ever” But the heresy of Arianism continued for another 50 years, in small pockets of resistance throughout the empire.

Meanwhile, in 328, Athanasius became Bishop of Alexandria. Since he was the fearless champion of Orthodoxy, and the archenemy of Arianism, many Arians conspired against him. They spread slanders resulting in a series of exiles for the Bishop. When he returned home in 316, St. Athanasius composed his book, “Against the Arians.” Ten years later he was again condemned by the Arian party for his Orthodoxy. This time he escaped into the Egyptian desert, where he lived in simplicity and piety, studying the word of God, writing theological treatises on the great questions of his day, and continuing to defend the true doctrine of the Trinity.

Quoting Scripture frequently,, St. Athanasius often returned in his letters to the theme of these verses: Beware of false prophets that come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves (Matt. 7:15), and Believe not every spirit (I John 4:1). He wrote: “That is the way our adversaries operate …They usurp the glorious Name of our Saviour ‘which is above every name.’ They deck themselves out in the language of Scripture, saying the words, but robbing them of their true meaning.”

After his fifth and last exile, having been bishop for 45 years and having seen 16 Roman emperors come and go, this Holy Father, whom St. Gregory Nazianzen had described as “angelic in appearance and still more angelic in mind,” ‘reposed in the Lord on May 2, 373.

Like all Fathers of the Church, St. Athanasius confessed the Orthodox Faith openly. He was absolutely dedicated to telling the world the truth, even when it resulted in bitter reprisals against himself. He was not merely a bishop or theological writer, however; he was also a saint–that is, he was one who loved Jesus Christ so much that Christ was able to shine clearly and brightly through him, to the world,

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Alexey Young