SAINT GREEK ORTHODOX february 21, 2016

Sunday of the tax-collector and the pharisee Timothy of Symbola, was of Italian descent. He became a monk at a young age and pursued asceti- cism at a monastery called “Symbola,” in Asia Minor near Mount Olympus. At that time Theoctistus was the archimandrite of the monastery. St Timothy was the of Theoctistus and also of St Platon of the Studion Monastery (April 5). Attaining a high degree of spiritual perfection, he received from God the gift of healing the sick and casting out unclean spirits. He spent many years as a hermit, roaming the wilderness, the mountains and forests, both day and night offering up prayer to the Lord God. He died at a great old age, in the year 795. Saint Eustathius, Archbishop of (323-331) was born in Side, Pamphylia in 324. He was of (modern Aleppo), and enjoyed the love and esteem of the people, and at the request of his flock he was elevated by the Fathers of the First (325) to the See of Antioch. St Eustathius was a learned theologian, and was also distinguished by his broad knowledge in secular sci- ences. When the heresy of Arius began to spread in the East (Arianism denied the consubstantiality of the Son of God with the Father), St Eustathius struggled zealously for the purity of the Orthodox Faith through his words and his writings. The First Ecumenical Council was convened in the year 325 by the holy God-crowned Emperor Con- stantine the Great (306-337). The first to preside over this Council was St Eustathius. The Council con- demned the heretical teachings of Arius and incorporated the Orthodox confession into the Symbol of Faith (the ). But the mad Arius, as St Eustathius called him, refused to renounce his errors. He and those who shared his opinion were excommunicated from the Church by the Council. Among the who signed the Nicene Symbol of Faith were some who sympathized with the heresy of Arius, but signed the Acts of the Council through fear of excommunication. After the Council, his enemies plotted against St Eustathius. With great cunning they gained his consent to convene a local Council at Antioch. Having bribed a certain profligate woman, they persuaded her to appear at the Council with an infant at her breast, and falsely declare that St Eustathius was the father of the infant. The Arians declared St Eustathius deposed, violating the Apostolic Rule that accusations against the must be substantiated by . Without a trial he was sent off into exile in Thrace. But the

1510 audubon drive • columbia, missouri, 65201 • tel. 573.817.0050 / fax 573.449.8452 email: [email protected] • web: www.saintlukecolumbia.org at the small we chant

αναστ. Ἀπολυτίκιον. Ἦχος πλ. α. resurr. . Mode pl. 1. ὸν συνάναρχον Λόγον Πατρὶ καὶ Πνεύματι, et us worship the Word who is unoriginate * with Tτὸν ἐκ Παρθένου τεχθέντα εἰς σωτηρίαν Lthe Father and the Spirit, and from a was ἡμῶν, ἀνυμνήσωμεν πιστοὶ καὶ προσκυνήσωμεν, born * for our salvation, O believers, and let us sing ὅτι ηὐδόκησε σαρκί, ἀνελθεῖν ἐν τῷ Σταυρῷ, καὶ His praise. * For in His goodness He was pleased * to θάνατον ὑπομεῖναι, καὶ ἐγεῖραι τοὺς τεθνεῶτας, ἐν ascend the Cross in the flesh, and to undergo death, * τῇ ἐνδόξῳ Ἀναστάσει αὐτοῦ. and to raise up those who had died, * by His glorious Resurrection. Ἀπολυτίκιον του ναου. πλ. α. Apolytikion for the Church. Mode 5. ουκάν τον πανύμνητον καὶ ἅγιον ἀπόστολον, he holy Apostle, the All-hymned Luke, * who is Λτὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας γνωστὸν συνθέτην Tacknowledged by the Church of * as the re- τῶν Πράξεων τῶν Ἀποστόλων, τόν τε σεμνὸν corder of the , * and the splendid τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου Χριστοῦ ὑπομνηματιστήν, author of the of Christ. * Let us praise with sa- ἀξίως τιμήσωμεν ὕμνοις ὁσίοις, ὡς νοσημάτων cred hymns as a physician, * who heals the infirmities ἀνθρωπίνων καὶ φυσικῶν ἀσθενειῶν θεραπευτήν, of man, * and the ailments of nature, * who cleanses τὸν καθαίροντα πληγὰς τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ spiritual wounds, and prays unceasingly for our souls. ἀδιαλείπτως πρεσβεύοντα ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν. Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος δ. . Mode 4. αρισαίου φύγωμεν ὑψηγορίαν, καὶ Τελώνου et us flee the Pharisee’s * exalted parlance; * let us Φμάθωμεν, τὸ ταπεινὸν ἐν στεναγμοῖς, πρὸς Llearn the Publican’s * humble demeanor, and with τὸν Σωτῆρα κραυγάζοντες· Ἵλαθι μόνε ἡμῖν sighs * unto the Savior cry out and say, * To us be gra- εὐδιάλλακτε. cious, O only forgiving Lord.

You see what God requires of you, that you remember that grace which you have received, and boast not as though you had not received it. You see by how complete a promise of remission He draws you to confession. Take heed, lest by resisting the “commandments of God you fall into the offense of the , to whom the Lord said: ‘We played the pipes to you, and you did not dance! We mourned to you, and you did not cry!’… This, then, is the mystery. We played the pipes to you, singing in truth the song of the , and you did not dance. That is, did not raise your souls to the spiritual grace. We mourned, you did not cry. That is, you did not repent. —st of milan” THE READINGS OF THE DAY

reading gospel reading the second Letter of st. paul to luke 18: 10–14 Timothy 3:10-15

imothy my son, you have paid close atten- he Lord said this parable: “Two men went up tion to my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, Tpatience, love, steadfastness, persecutions, Tand the other was a Publican. The Pharisee, and sufferings. You know what happened to me at standing by himself, prayed like this: ‘God, I thank Antioch, Iconium, and . I endured those per- you that I am not like the rest of men, dishonest, secutions and the Lord delivered me out of them unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collec- all! Yes, all those who desire to lead godly lives in tor. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I earn.’ Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked impos- But the tax collector, standing far aside, would not tors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others, even lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his being themselves deceived. As for you, remain in breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I what you have learned, which is what you firmly tell you, this man, rather than the other, went down believe, knowing from whom you have learned to his house justified. For everyone who exalts them. From infancy, you have known the Holy himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles Scriptures which are able to make you wise for sal- himself will be exalted.” vation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.

Let us, then, submit ourselves to God, and not be subject to sin, and when we ponder the remembrance of our offenses, let us blush as though at some disgrace, and not speak of them as a glory to us, as some boast of overcoming “modesty, or putting down the feeling of justice. Let our conversion be such, that we who did not know God may now ourselves declare Him to others, that the Lord, moved by such a conversion on our part, may answer to us: ‘Ephraim is from youth a dear son, a pleasant child, for since My words are concerning him, I will verily remember him, therefore have I hastened to be over him; I will surely have mercy on him,’ says the Lord. —st ambrose of milan” announcements Saturday, January 25, Great Vespers, 5pm

upcoming church services: NO GREAT VESPERS THIS WEEK

welcome fr. anastasios baptism We welcome Fr. Anasastios Theodoropoulos who Next Sunday, after divine services, Elias Miller will is substituting for Fr. . Fr. Anastasios is the be baptized. Alll are welcome. assistant priest at Assumption Greek Orthodox give a month towards our future Church, Town and Country, Missouri. As we did last year, we would like to offer families dinner dance–save the date and individuals the opportunity to help offset our Dinner Dance will be held on February 28, 2016. additional mortgage payment with a donation of Tickets can be purchased from Georgia Pardalos. $640. If you would like to sponsor one month for If you would like to sponsor a student or are will- 2016, please contact Fr. Michael. Thank you for ing to donate an extra ticket to the Dinner Dance, your generosity! please let Father know. Silent Auction Committee meeting: There will be a mandatory meeting for volunteers willing to help out with the Silent Auction this year today af- rayer is an aid in our ter divine services. If you would like to help, please Plives: talking to God, plan to stay for this important meeting. Silent auc- tion items are still being accepted. We need various forgetting earthly matters, sized baskets to be used for auction items - if you “ ascending to heaven. It’s the have a basket that you can donate, please bring it to the Church. common medicine for the volunteers needed passions, able to protect us Dessert pastries for the Dinner Dance are needed. from them. It gives life, is a If you are able to bake a dessert, please see Karen pledge of health and a hope- Sade to sign up. All pastries need to be in single serving portions and brought to the church by bearing blossom. Prayer’s a Sunday morning on Feb 28 or delivered to the great weapon, great secu- Peach Tree. Thank you! rity, a great treasure, a great bookstore harbor, a safe haven. Visit our Bookstore after Divine Services! —St. Nectarios of Pentapolis” lie was soon unmasked: the woman repented after by Tarasius (February falling grievously ill. She summoned the clergy, and 25). Arriving in Amastris, St George instructed his in the presence of many people, she confessed her flock, he adorned several churches, was a defender sin. of widows and orphans, fed the poor, and in every- St Constantine the Great died around this time, thing he gave example of a God-pleasing life. and his son Constantius (337-361), who shared By the power of his prayer he repelled the Sara- the heretical views of Arius and favored the Arian cens who were ravaging the countryside from the bishops, succeeded his father on the throne. Even city of Amastris. He also delivered from death in exile, St Eustathius struggled for Amastrian merchants wrongfully condemned in with the same zeal. He died in exile, in the city of the city of Trebizon. or Trajanopolis, in the year 337. St George died peacefully in the midst of his Convened in the year 381 at Constaninople, the flock on March 3, 805 during the reign of the em- Second Ecumenical Council confirmed the Ortho- peror Nicephorus I (802-811). dox Symbol of Faith, which St Eustathius had so Saint John Scholasticus, Patriarch of vigorously defended. The Arian heresy was once Constantinople, was born in Sirimion near An- again anthematized. tioch, and studied law. He was ordained a priest be- In the year 482 the of St Eustathius were cause of his great holiness and piety. Later he was reverently transferred from Philippi to Antioch, to elevated to the patriarchal throne, where he spent the great joy of the Antioch people, who had not the years 565 to 577. ceased to honor and love their patriarch. While still a , he compiled a collection St Eustathius was esteemed by the great hier- of Church Rules in Fifty Chapters, and later during archs of the fourth century, Basil the Great, John his time as patriarch he made a Codex of civil laws Chrysostom, , Epipha- relating to the Church. From these collections was nius of Cyprus, Anastasius of Sinai, and of compiled the (i.e. “Law-canon”), used Stridonia. The renowned church historian Bishop in church administration. St John also composed of Cyrrhus calls St Eustathius a pillar of the “Cherubic Hymn”, and “Of Thy Mystical Sup- the Church and a man of piety, of equal stature with per.” St Athanasius of Alexandria and the other bishops Saint Zacharias, Patriarch of Jerusalem, lived at the forefront of the struggle for Orthodoxy. from the end of the sixth to the early seventh cen- , Bishop of Amastris, was from the turies. He became Patriarch of Jerusalem in 609. city of Kromna, near the city of Amastris close to In the year 614 the Persian emperor Chosroes fell the Black Sea. His pious and illustrious parents upon Jerusalem, looted it, and led many Christians Theodore and Migethusa gave him a fine spiritual into captivity, including St Zacharias. and secular education. St George withdrew to the Chosroes also captured the Life-Creating Cross mountains of Syriki in Asia Minor, where he em- of Christ. During the invasion, as many as 90,000 braced and began to lead a strict as- Christians perished. Afterwards Chosroes was cetic life under the guidance of a hermit. compelled to sue for peace with the Byzantine Em- After the death of his Elder, St George moved to peror Heraclius (610-641). The Cross of the Lord a monastery in Bonissa, and there continued with was returned to Jerusalem. The Christian captives his efforts. After the death of the bishop of the city who remained alive also were returned, among of Amastris, St George was chosen bishop by the them Patriarch Zacharias, who died peacefully in clergy and the people, and he was consecrated at the year 633. HYPOTHESis 44 saves the ailing, will help me to remain here, from the EVERGETINOS repenting for all the negligence in which I have lived up to now, so that you may be the first to That humility is completely impregnable to de- rejoice at the transformation of my soul and to mons, how humility is engendered, and what its give thanks to God for it.” power is; that humility, more than all the other St. Pachomios replied to this plea: “You virtues, is able, by itself, to save a man. know well how many things I put up with in you, even to the point, many times, of striking From the Life of St. Pachomios you something which I have never done to any other man. Indeed, I have never even reached A man by the name of Silvanos, who was out my hand to another person; but in your formerly an actor, went to the monastery of St. case, I was compelled to use physical force, Pachomios, wishing to renounce the world and which caused more pain to me than it did to to become a monk. After they had announced you, since we are linked through spiritual com- him to the Saint, the latter summoned him and passion. Besides, I used this severe measure for said: ‘Take note, brother, given, indeed, that no other reason than for your salvation, so that your previous life in the theater impels your at least in this way I might be able to correct soul towards that which is worst, that monas- your faults. tic life demands toil and requires a vigilant soul “Since you received so many admonitions and chaste thoughts, so that you might be able, and yet were unwilling to change for the better, with God’s Grace, to resist him who afflicts us.” and since, even after the drubbing I gave you, After Silvanos had agreed to fulfill all that St. you failed to choose what is in your interest, Pachomios taught him, the great man received how can I now allow you, an ailing member, to him into the brotherhood. But having struggled associate any longer with the flock of Christ? for a long time, Silvanos began again to neglect Will not the mange of the one spread to all and, his salvation, to be en­ ticed into wantonness, in a short time, harm a signifi­ cant part of the and to take pleasure in foolish jesting; he even brotherhood?” reached the point of singing the obscene songs These, then, were the objections that the of the theater podium,without any shame, in Father presented to Sil- vanos. But the latter front of the brothers of the monastery. persevered in his appeal and assured St. Pacho- The Saint immediately summoned Silvanos mios that, from that time on, he would correct and, after twenty years of ascetic life, ordered himself. The Saint asked for guarantees that he him to cast off his monastic schema before the would not persist in the same behavior. Then brothers, to put on his worldly garments, and Petro- nios, a holy and wondrous man, con- to be expelled from the monastery. Silvanos sented to guarantee that Silvanos would keep then fell at the feet of the holy Elder and be- his promises, and the Saint forgave him. After sought him: “Forgive me this one more time. blessing him, he handed him over to Petronios. Father, and I believe that the Mas­ ter, Who As soon as Silvanos had received forgiveness, tempted to offer incense in the Holy of Holies he humbled himself to such a degree that he with evil intentions and unclean hands;** and became a model and an example for many, I am afraid because, knowing as much as I do, or, rather, for the entire brotherhood, on ac- I nonetheless neglect the salvation of my soul. count of all the virtues to which he attained This is why I am not ashamed to weep, for I and, above all, on account of his Godly tears. know my many sins. So, even if I were to hand So distin ­guished was he for his tear-stained over my soul, I would not be doing anything compunction that, even when he was eating, strange.” Since Silvanos struggled so well and his tears often poured out like a river, and he for quite some time, St. Pachomios the Great could not hold them back; and they would be made the following announcement, one day, mingled with his food, so that the words of the before everyone: Prophet-King were fulfilled in him: “For “Brethren, I declare before God that, from I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my the time that this cceno- bion was established, drink with weeping” (Psalm 101:10). I know of no one among the brothers who live When his brothers said that he was perhaps with me who has emulated me, with but one just doing this to im­ press strangers or other exception.” people, he protested that he often wanted to re­ When the brothers heard these words, some strain his tears for just this reason, but was un- thought that he meant Theodore, others that able to do so. For their part, they insisted that he meant Petronios, and yet others that he while he could weep from compunction when meant Orsisios. When Theodore plucked up he was on his own and at prayer, he should re- the courage to ask St. Pachomios whom he had strain himself at the time that he was eating in in mind, the great man was reluctant to speak. refectory (for the soul, they said, could always Since Theodore persisted more forcefully, and be in a state of compunction even without ex- the senior brothers, as well, in­ sistently sought ternal tears). They persisted in their attempt to to find out who this exception was, St. Pacho- find out why he was weeping so much and, in- mios re­ sponded as follows: deed, dis ­suaded him (“because” they said “we “If I thought that the man about whom I am blush with embarrassment when we see you, speaking were capable of being puffed up when and many of us cannot even eat”). he is praised, I would not identify him. But He then replied to them: “So, my brothers, since I know that the more he is praised, the you do not want me to weep when I see myself more he is humbled by the Grace of Christ, for being served by saintly men even the dust of this reason I will praise him without fear before whose feet has value for me though I am wor- you, so that you might emulate his conduct. thy of nothing? Should I not mourn, then? Tell “You, Theodore, and all who struggle as me, am I, an actor, worthy of being served by you do here in this mon­ astery, have bound such holy men? I mourn, my brothers, because the Devil and thrown him like a sparrow be- I fear daily lest the earth should swallow me neath your feet; and daily, with the Grace of up as it swallowed Dathan and Abiron, who at ­ Christ, you trample him into the earth. But if you should become careless about yourselves, son, the Apostle Peter, know­ ing the security I fear, lest the captive Devil may rise up from and steadfastness of humility, enjoins us to be under your feet and launch an as ­sault against clothed with humility (I St. Peter 5:5), so that you. it might be inseparable from us and so that all “Brother Silvanos, however, whom we were of the other virtues may be thereby held and going to expel from our monastery a short bound to ­gether. Just as it is impossible for a while ago on account of his negligence, has boat to be constructed without nails, so it now to ­tally subdued the Devil and destroyed is impossible for a man to be saved without him, so that the Evil One can no longer appear humility. Have you considered the hymn of in his presence; and in the end, by his extreme the three Children? How, although they did humility, he has completely overcome the Dev- not make much mention of the other virtues, il. Now you, because you have per­ formed vir- they numbered the humble among those who tuous deeds, rest your confidence on what you chant, without making reference to the chaste have accom­ plished up to now. But the more or the poor (Song of the Three Youths 15, he struggles, the more he presents him­ self to 64)? Our Lord Jesus Christ, too, in bringing to all as a beginner, constantly thinking with all of fruition His Divine Oikonomia [Providence his soul and all of his mind that he is worth- Trans.] towards us, clothed Himself in this vir- less. This is precisely why he weeps and easily tue: “Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in at that for it is easy for him to abase himself, heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls” and he does not reckon any of his accomplish- (St. Matthew 11:29). Let humility be for you, ments to be important. Nothing so weak ­ens then, the beginning and end of all good things. the Devil as real humility that is practiced with one’s whole soul.” From the Gerontikon Silvanos struggled in this way for another eight years, apart from the preceding twenty, Abba Longinos was once asked: “Which is and completed the course of his asceticism. the greatest of all the virtues?” He replied: “I His sanctity was proclaimed by the Saint (Pa- reckon that just as pride is the greatest of the chomios), who said also about his death that passions, since it was able to cast various be- he saw a multitude of holy receiving his ings down from Heaven,*** so also is humil- soul with great joy and ascending to Heaven, in ity the greatest of all the virtues. For it has the order to offer it to Christ as a choice sacrifice. power to raise a man up from those dark abyss- es, even if he is a sinner like the Devil. This is From the Life of St.Synkletike why the Lord called the poor in spirit, that is, the humble, blessed above all others” (St. Mat- The Blessed Synkletike said that humility is thew 5:3). so great a virtue that the Devil, who can mimic almost all the virtues, does not have even the slightest idea what humility is. For this rea-