FROM THE FATHERS

“AS THE CHURCH is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” Holy Apostle Paul, + c. 63 A.D.

“TAKE AWAY honourable marriage and where will you find the flower of virginity? For from nowhere else is this flower gathered. In saying this to you, beloved, we in no way desire to place conflict between marriage and virginity, for both we admire, as one completing the other, since the Lord, Who in His providence has ordained both, has not set one against the other; for the true service of God embraces both the one and the other. For without the holy and precious love of God, neither is virgin- ity to be revered, nor is marriage honourable.” Amphilochius of Iconium,+ 400 A.D.

“SINCE in the Gospel the Lord confirmed that marriage is a virtuous estate, not only when He forbade the dismissal of a wife except for cause of fornication, but also when, as an invited guest, He came to the wedding [at Cana], it will be worthwhile to inquire why it is a virtuous estate. It seems to me that this is the case not only because of the procreation of children, but also because of the natural companionship of the two sexes.” Saint Augustine of Hippo, + 430 A.D.

1 “ HIS[ C h rist ’s] c o nde s c e nsion inc o mingt o t h e marriag e ( Joh n 2:2), andt h e miracl e Hew rou g h t t h e re , are… a s t rong c o nfirmat ion o f t h e f ait h . The re b yt o oarec o nde mne dt h ee rrors o fTat ian,M arcionando t h e rs,w h od e t ractf romt h eh o nou ro f marriag e . F o r ift h eu nde file db e d , andmarriag e c e l e b rat e d w it h d u ec h ast it yp arto o ko fs inatall ,o u rLordw o u l dne verh ave c o met oo ne .Whe re asnow ,c o nju g alc h ast it yb e ingg o o d ,t h e c o ntine nceo fw id o w sb e t t e r,t h ep e rfe c t iono ft h evirgins t at e be st ,t osanct ionallt he sed e g re e s,Hed e ig ne dt obebornoft he p u re w ombo f t h e Virgin, w asble sse daf t e rbirthby t hep rop he t ic voice o f t h e w id o w Anna, andnow , invit e d inmanho o d , b y at t e ndingt h e c e l e b rat ion o f a marriag e , Heh o nou rst h atals o b y t h ep re s e nceo fHisg o o d ne s s .” Ven .BedeofJ a r ro w,+7 3 5A . D .

“ VIRGINITY,t h ec o ndu c to ft h eAng e l s ,ist h ep rop e rtyo fall inco rpo re alnat u re . Wed o not s ayt h isass p e akingill o f marri- ag e , p e risht het hou g ht ! F o r w eknowt h att h eLordb l e s s e d marriag e b y Hisp re s e nce , andw e know t h e s ay ing , M ar r i agei s honou r able andt hebedu ndefi l ed (He bre w s 13:4). Butw es ay t h isb y w ayo f re c o g nisingt h ath o w e ver g o o d marriag e mayb e , virginit y isb e t t e r.” Ven .Joh nofD amas c u s ,+7 4 9A . D .

“ M YC HRISTIAN,y o umu s tl o vey o u rw if easy o u rc o m- p anion,andnotc o nsid e rh e rasy o u rs l ave,f o rs h eisac re at u re of G o d , ju st as you are . You c allG o d F at h e r,she c all s Him Fat he r t o o .Bot ho fy o uh avet h es ameF ait h ,t h es ameBap t ism,t h e s ameBoo ko ft h eG o s p e l s ,t h es ameHol yC o mmu nion,t h es ame Parad iset oe njoy .G o dd o e snotre g ardh e rasinfe riort oy o u .” Holy Hi eroma rty r C o smas of A i tol i a , P eeroft h eA p o s t l e s ,+1 7 7 9A . D . ❇❇❇❇❇❇❇

2 On the Occasion of the Glorious Feast of the Entrance of the All-Pure Mary The Love for Mankind of the All-Holy

“The supplication of a Mother availeth much to win the Master’s favour.”

a.“We all take pride in being called her children.” Come, all ye faithful who love the Theotokos! Let us cele- brate once again in a godly manner. Let us light the torches of chastity in Christ; let us cense with the fragrant incense of Divine love; let us raise up our minds with heavenly thoughts; let us bring peace to our hearts with the Grace of the Mother of God, distributing these things with righteousness to the three faculties of our souls. And thus, being all light and fragrance and sobriety, let us go forth to meet the Theotokos, “radiantly coming into the House of the Lord”¹ to prepare and adorn herself, in a God-befitting manner, and to become a “Heavenly Tabernacle.”² On this celebration of the Mother of God, let each one contribute “a worthy gift, according to the spiritual gift given to him;”³ for today once again the Theotokos Mary celebrates, she who is “the common refuge of all Christians,”⁴ “truly great and honoured in deed and name,” the Davidic offspring, “from whom blossomed forth the Son of God in the flesh, Who is above and before the world, coëternal with the Begetter.”⁵ How could it be possible for her children to become negli- gent and slothful, now that she brings forth the Light of Grace? Now that the shadow of the symbols of the Law is receding? And while the Sun of Righteousness, Christ, will soon rise?

3 It is meet and right ceaselessly to bless and magnify the Immaculate Mother of God; for she was the first to magnify our Lord: “firstly, with thoughts great, lofty, and worthy of the Majes- ty of God,” “secondly, with great words, with lofty words, and with words befitting the Divine Majesty,” and “thirdly, with great works, with lofty works, and with works worthy of the Divine Majesty.”⁶ The Most Blessed One enters into the Holy of Holies to become a sacred Temple and spotless Altar where He, the first and only High Priest and King, “having worked, through His Œconomy, our reconciliation with His Father, assumed all of the essence of man,according to essence and above all essence.”⁷ There, in the Temple’s holy sanctuary, as the Holy Fathers theologize in lofty and grand language, our Lady the Virgin Mother sought “to converse with God” by means of holy hesychia, which is the ascension to theoria, or vision of God. There, she practiced the hesychastic method; that is, she followed the “new and secret way to the Heavens,” “noetic silence”;⁸ for “she was occupied in and dwelt on nothing other thantheoria, or rather, the vision of God.”⁹ During that period of twelve years, the expound, the All-Pure Mary “developed a noetic activity” (praxis); for “by means of the return of the mind to itself, attention, and Divine and perpetual prayer, having united wholly with her own self, she was exalted above all forms and figures. In this way, she built a new path to the Heavens - that is, ‘noetic silence’; for her mind being attached to this, she rose above all of creation and saw the glory of God more perfectly than did . And she contemplated Divine Grace, which is not at all perceived through the senses, but which is a holy and most Grace-filled vision, given solely to pure souls and Angels. The Theotokos by herself found and practised this noetic activity and vision and transmitted it to those who came after,” becoming “the teacher of noetic prayer.”¹⁰ Hence, magnifying our Lady the Theotokos, let us pray to her unceasingly and let us remind her that “all we Christians,

4 primarily, have only her as Mother in the Heavens, and we all take pride in being called her children;” and that “without her intercessions, no one, neither Angel nor man, is able to approach God, for she alone stands on the boundary between uncreated and created nature;” and, finally, that “there is no one who, calling upon her with faith, will not be heard with com- passion.”¹¹ The following particularly striking narrative underscores this truth and bolsters us to take refuge, with faith and hope, in the love for mankind of the All-Holy Theotokos.

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b.“My Lady,I saw him in a wretched condition....” The blessed Abba Paul the Simple recounted the following incident: “I had a who, unbeknownst to me, fell into various sins. It so happened that he died. I prayed at length to God and besought the Holy Theotokos to reveal to me in whose company his soul was to be found after its departure from his body. “After quite a few days spent in prayer, I fell into ecstasy. I saw my disciple being supported by two strangers, deprived of any mental or bodily power whatsoever. Nor did he speak at all; it was if he were turned to stone. I was in great agony.... Then, as if by Divine inspiration, I recalled that which the Lord said: ‘Him who is not clothed in a wedding garment, bind hand and foot and cast into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “When I had awoken from the ecstasy, I began to be ex- ceedingly sorrowful and anxious. I gave alms, according to my ability, for the repose of his soul and had him commemorated at Divine Liturgies. I besought the Holy Theotokos to have mercy on him. I also besought God, Who loves mankind, on his account. And even though I had reached such deep old age, I begantotoilinasceticismandeatonlyuncookedfoods.

5 “After a few days, I saw the All-Holy Theotokos, who said to me: ‘Why are you sorrowful and anxious, little Father?’ I replied: ‘On account of the brother, my Lady, because I saw him in a wretched condition.’ She answered: ‘Was it not you who supplicated me because you wanted to see him? Now, then, you have been informed.” And I said: ‘Yes, I entreated you, I sup- plicated; but I did not wish to see him in that condition. Of what use is it to me to see him and to cry and be in pain?’ And the Holy Theotokos said to me: ‘Go now. For your humility, toil, and love, I will show him to you in such a way that you will not be sorrowful.’ “The next day, I once again saw (in ecstasy) the brother coming towards me in elation, advancing forward by himself, laughing. And he said to me: “Your intercessions, Father, inclined the All-Holy Theotokos, because she loves you exceed- ingly. And she besought our Saviour to release me from my bonds, since I was constricted by the ropes of my sins.’ “When the brother spoke these words, I was filled with joy. And forthwith I saw the All-Holy Theotokos, who said to me: ‘Were you informed, Elder, just now?’ I answered: ‘Yes, my Lady, and I was very pleased, because I saw him in comfort.’ She replied: ‘Go, then, and always remember the brother through prayer, almsgiving, and Divine Liturgies. For almsgiving and Liturgies exceedingly aid those who have reposed.”¹²

Abbreviated Notes: 1.Megalynarion, 20th November. 2.Contakion for the Feast. 3. St Andrew of Crete,Patrologia Græca,Vol. XCVII, col. 817D. 4.Ibid., col. 880C. 5.Ibid., col. 832B. 6. St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite, Κῆπος Χαρίτων [Garden of Graces] 7. St Andrew of Crete, Patrologia Græca,Vol. XCVII, col. 876A. 8. St Gregory Palamas, “Homily LIII,” 9 & 10. See note 6. 11.Idem, [Unseen Warfare], 12.The Great Gerontikon, Vol. IV, ch. 18.

Unattributed but taken from the website of the Metropolis of Oropos & Fili hhhhhhh 6 The History of the Taxiarchis of Mantamado (The Greek wordTaxiarchis refers to the Archangel or his icon)

BETWEEN the tenth and eleventh centuries, when the Byzantine Empire was at its zenith, the Saracen pirates were also triumphing. They ravaged the Aegean islands. They robbed, burned and took people as prisoners, destined to be sold as slaves in the East. The island of Lesbos, rich and attractive, had become the chosen prey of the pirates. In the locality of Lesbados near Mantamados was an old town, Stenakos, and not far from it a monastery dedicated to the Archangels. It is not known when the monastery was founded. We learn its history from local oral teaching passed down to this day. The monastery was fortified like a castle, with walls and a tower, and from early days it had provoked the interest of pirates, who persisted in attacking it. Sirham, a leader of pirates, a savage giant, called his gang and told them: “This time for sure we will enter the monastery. I only want the gold cup the use in Liturgies to drink my wine from. Everything else is yours.” They sailed to Lesbos and approached the monastery at mid- night, and hid in the trees. It was a quiet time in winter, and the monks were not keeping watch as they should have. The simandron was heard, calling the monks to Matins. Soon they were all in church and everything was quiet. The leader of the pirates gave the signal. A pirate threw a hook over the wall, climbed up and jumped inside, and opened the large castle door. The pirates rushed in shouting. They entered the church and before the monks had time to come to themselves they were slaughtered. A novice by the name of was in the holy altar. He took a silver box containing the holy relics and quickly climbed

7 onto the roof of the church. The pirates followed him. Then a loud sound was heard, and the roof was as it were miraculously transformed into an open sea with raging waves. On the foamy waves, a huge, stern soldier holding a huge sword with sparks coming out of it rushed towards them. Immediately they drop- ped their weapons and what they had stolen, and fled in panic. Novice Gabriel, the only one who escaped death, stunned by the miracle of the Archangel, approached his icon and fell down before it. When he recovered from the shock, he lifted up his eyes. But what kind of face was this? It was drawn and yet it looked alive and had a heavenly sweetness. He longed to copy it. “My Archangel,”he pleaded,“intercede to the Lord and grant rest to my brothers. Also make me worthy to copy your won- derful icon.” As if enlightened by the Archangel, he took up a sponge and with devoutness collected the blood of the monks in a bowl which he mixed with white soil (chalk?). He began to mould an icon. He felt the Archangel’s help from the start. It was as if his hands were directed by an invisible power. He quickly and steadily moulded the clay into the face of the Archangel - that same face that he had seen on the roof of the church, stern and yet divine and grace-filled. When he finished the face, he saw that he did not have much clay left. He took the clay and, just as an inexperienced child draws on a piece of paper a human body, making the body, arms and legs with single lines, in the same way he sculpted the body of the Archangel, as he had no idea of iconography. While this was happening at the monastery, in the sur- rounding areas life continued quietly. Only a shepherd boy noticed the pirate ships a little further from the shore as he was surveying the sea fromaheight. He rode his horse to the monas- tery to warn the monks. He fainted when he saw the sight there. As soon as he had recovered, he ran to inform Alexis, the nobleman of Stenakos. Alexis left for the monastery with fifty riders. When he entered the church, he was dumbstruck. He saw the slaughtered monks with blood all over them and the Elder dead in front of

8 the altar. He left, wanting to take revenge. Following the trail, they approached a slope. Then they suddenly stopped. Thesight they saw made them shudder - the ones they were after were dead and scattered over the slope. On each one of them there was a cut that started at the forehead and ended at the abdo- men, opening the body in two. The cut was exactly the same on each body. None of them asked who did it. They all realised that it was the Archangel. Meanwhile,two pirates,who had stayed on the shore waiting for their companions, became anxious and started going to meet them. When they came upon the massacred bodies, they quickly returned to their ships where the leader was waiting, and reported everything to him. When he heard, he hit his fist on the table and swore revenge. The next year, he decided to carry out his plans for the seizure of Stenakos. One night the pirates landed quietly at the shore and were getting ready to attack the people of the small town at dawn. The townspeople were asleep unaware of this. In the crisis the Archangel intervened again. He appeared to Stephen, the son of Alexis. The Archangel appeared in splendour,and told the young man,“Get up, Stephen, go quickly and prepare the town’s defences with your father. The Saracens are coming to destroy you. I will be at your side, together with your saint and protector (St Stephen). We will protect and direct you. A few of them will climb the castle to open it. They will attack as day overtakes night. Take care at the gate.” Everything took place as the Archangel had said. When the pirates attacked they found the defenders were prevailing. At the same time a group of men, with Stephen as the leader, had gone down to the shore and set fire to the pirate ships. When the pirates saw the fire, they were lost. Panic followed; they ran to the sea but were hunted down by the townsmen and slain. Their leader with some of his men managed to escape through the forest; they came face to face with the men who had burned the ships, were surrounded by them, and so they too perished.

9 Centuries passed. The monasteryfell into ruin from repeated attacks by the Turks. In the 18th century, the small old church was replaced by a new and bigger church, however, the sculpted miraculous icon of the Archangel has remained untouched to this day, exactly as it was made by the novice Gabriel. It retains its original liveliness and remains untouched by the years. Every now and then the Archangel’s eyes are filled with tears which the Christians wipe with cotton wool. They do the same with the sweat from his face. He works amazing miracles to those who approach him in faith. Even the building of the new church began and ended with a miracle. The committee decided to build the new church a short distance away from the monastery. The workers began todigthe foundations, but in the morning they found them covered with soil, while their tools were in the courtyard of the old church. They dug up the foundations again. At night fall, they purposely left their tools uncovered, while some men hid in the bushes to watch what would happen. At midnight they saw a bright light which came up from the old church, then turned into a curved shape and stood atop the foundations. Then it moved in the opposite direction and disappeared. The guards were stunned. When they approached the foundations they found them covered again; they ran to the tree where they had hung their tools but they were not there. Bewildered, they started to walk to the old church, to the monastery of the Archangel. It was almost daylight when suddenly the bell of the monastery was heard. It stopped ringing for a little while and then it started again, slowly and rhythmically. Later they found out that it was not rung by a human hand. They arrived at the church and went into the courtyard. There, they saw the tools which had been placed down neatly against the wall, at the same place that they had found them the day before. Then they knew that it was the Archangel’s will for his new church to be built in the same area as the old one. Work began; everyone helped, even the Turks. They had res- pected the Archangel from olden times, and were fearful of him.

10 Some of them had dared to affront his church, or enter the courtyard riding on their horses, but they would then see him fiercely driving them away. When the time came for the sculpted icon to be moved, it was impossible.The Archangel prevented every attempt to move it. He wanted his icon to remain there, where the novice Gabriel, its maker, had placed it. The work was done quickly and was coming to an end. The money, however, was not enough even to pay the workers. The members of the committee met at the treasurer’s house. They stayed until late at night, trying to find a solution. But they left unsuccessful. It was past midnight. The treasurer remained sitting in an armchair,very sad and in deep thought,when suddenly the door opened. An unknown man entered, he went up the stairs and entered the room where the trunk which contained the small amount of remaining money was kept. The treasurer tried to get up but could not. He felt that his feet were nailed to the floor. He heard the trunk open and after a little while close. Then he saw the stranger returning with slow but heavy footsteps. He was a young man with curly hair and a bright appearance like lightning. He smiled at the treasurer and said: “The money for the wages is in the trunk.” Then he moved his hand as if waving to him and, opening the outside door, he disappeared into the darkness. The treasurer ran to the trunk. It was locked. He unlocked it and saw three rows of gold coins. He took the coins in his hand to be sure and let them drop again. Those gold coins, which the Archangel had offered for his church, were the exact amount needed to pay the expenses right down to the very last penny. FromAppearances and Miracles of Angels [in Greek], Holy Monastery of the Paraklete,1996. Slightly abridged from a translation sent us by the sisters of the Convent of the Holy Angels,Afidnai,Attica. May the Archangel Michael help the faithful people of Lesbos in their present plight.

11 How to live in accord withtheGospel A translation of a Booklet published by the Synodal Press in Russia in 1905, somewhat adapted to meet the needs of our times. Fairness INSOFAR as fairness in our dealings with our neighbours is shown in our thoughts, it is as uprightness or truthfulness. Insofar as it is shown by our feelings, it is as sincerity. And insofar as it is manifest in various practical activities, and in particular in the exchange of property or possessions, it is as being honourable. A) The duty of uprightness. This duty, that of truthful- ness, is laid before us in the Sacred Scriptures, where it says: Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another (Eph. 4:25). Thus we must speak the truth in that we, being members of one body, must needs serve one another. The most fundamental and deepest foundation for the obligation to speak the truth is that, we must needs be the servants of Eternal Truth. It is impossible to say, of course, that we are bound always to tell the whole truth; the truth neces- sarily must be combined with discretion, and therefore one must necessarily now and again hold back a little with regard to the truth; there is a time to speak, a time to keep silence (Eccl. 3:7). There are occasions when we are required, out of love for our neighbour (for instance with a sick person), to conceal the truth or to present it in a veiled way. But one must decidedly renounce all untruth or lying, particularly with respect to mercenary inducements, or those said deliberately to cause the

12 neighbour injury, and also the falsehood of lightmindedness. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,says the Most Wise One (Prov.12:22). B) The duty of sincerity. This demands of us, first of all, dealing with our neighbours with real and true feeling, and, secondly, with complete sensitivity. Essentially the duty of sincerity is that of being pure-hearted and straightforward, and then it is also that of being candid. The Psalmist says that he speaks truth in his heart (Ps.14:2). And the Apostles Paul, Peter and John instruct us by the example of their rejection of obscur- ity, and by not resorting to craftiness (2Cor.4:2; Acts4:19-20). That which stands in opposition to pure-heartedness is pretence or hypocrisy, the most extreme degree of which is called treachery. As an example of pretence one can cite the conduct of the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians, who deceitfully asked the Lord,Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, and so on (Mt.22:16). And as an example of treachery one can point to the behaviour of Judas Iscariot. That which stands in opposition to openness is obscuration. C) The duty of being honourable.Lastly, the duty of being honourable, or of righteousness with regard to our neighbours, the prophets taught us:The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness… he that will not learn righteousness will not behold the majesty of the Lord(Esaias 26:9, 10). And thus did John the Forerunner answer the tax collectors: Exact no more than that which is appointed you, and to the soldiers: Do violence to no man (Luke3:13-14). So too the Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught: Therefore all things what- soever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets(Matt. 7:12).Forwith what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again(Matt. 7:2). And finally the holy Apostles: Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour (Rom. 13:7).

13 The duty of being honourable requires that in our relation- ships with our neighbours we must strictly maintain the rights of each one of them and render them all that is their due. Here the obligation of thankfulness also belongs, which is a natural feeling for man, forsinners also love those that love them(Luke 6:32), eventhe ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib(Es. 1:3). Heed the well-known reproach given by the Lord Jesus Christ to the nine lepers, who had been healed by Him: Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger (Luke17:17-18). For which reason the holy Apostle Paul gives us the commandment:In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God (1Thess.5:18). … to be continued with “Kindheartedness” ❇❇❇❇❇❇❇ THE COMING MONTH IN NOVEMBER, we celebrate the Great Feast of the Entry of the All-holy Mother of God into the Temple (21st November / 4th December). Seeing the Righteous Joachim and Anne bring their daughter to the Temple, and her taking up the life of ascetic devotion there, Saint John of Cronstadt cries out in one of his homilies: “What an excellent example for fathers, mothers, and their children; for Christian maidens and youths! They are obligated as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, as servants of the Heavenly Queen, the Mother of God and leader of spiritual restoration, to emulate as well as they can her fervent love for God, her zeal for reading the word of God, for prayer, for divine contemplation, self-restraint, and love of labour! If we do not want to be falsely called spiritual members of Christ's Church, the holy House of God, the Queen and Mother of which is the Most Holy Virgin, then we should also have the same thoughts as she has. May her children by grace be of one spirit with her! Let them learn from her how to love the Lord, our Creator, more than anything else in the world,

14 more than father and mother, more than anyone dear to us; how to avidly study the word of God… learn with what warmth of heart and love we must pray to the Lord; how we must dedicate ourselves to Him wholeheartedly; how to entrust our fate to His wise and all-good providence; with what purity, meekness, humility, and patience we must always clothe and adorn our- selves and not with the vain embellishments of this adulterous and sinful world which knows no bounds to luxury and elegance in bodily clothing; how to love a life with God and the saints more than to dwell in the tents of sinners (Ps. 83:11).” Just as Saint John sees in the dedication by Joachim and Anne of their daughter to God an example for parents and teachers, so the Orthodox monastics, monks and , celebrate this festival with great devotion, seeing the All-holy Virgin’s life as one dedicated to God as an example for themselves. It is of course in November that we begin theforty-day fast before our Saviour’s Nativity.This starts on 15th /28th ofthe month. With regard to dietary requirements it is less strict than the Great Fast before Pascha, and the Dormition Fast in August. On Wednesdays and Fridays (many include Mondays also) we keep a strict vegan diet without olive oil, although sea-foods are also permitted but not alcoholic drinks; on the other weekdays we are also permitted wine (alcohol) and oil; and on Saturdays, the Sabbath, and Sundays, the Lord’s Day, we are also permitted fish. In other respects we should keep this fast like the others, trying to deepen our prayer life, attending more assiduously to spiritual reading, to rooting out the passions and to acquiring the virtues. Among the saints we celebrate in November, we have:- Our Holy Father Willibrord (7th /20th) was born in North- umbria in A.D. 658 from pious, newly converted parents. His father Wilgils entrusted the boy to the monastery of Ripon, and himself became a recluse. Willibrord thus grew up under the direction of Saint Wilfrid. At the age of twenty he was drawn to Ireland, the Isle of Saints, where he submitted to strict ascetic- ism at the monastery of Rathmelsigi. He was ordained priest in A.D. 688. Willibrord was now filled with the spirit of pere-

15 grinatio, the Celtic desire of renouncing an earthly home to preach the gospel to heathen peoples. In the year 690,he crossed over to the European mainland with eleven companions, to bring the Christian faith to the people of Frisia, who had so far resisted evangelisation. The saint organised his missionary work pragmatically. He first sought the protection of Pippin II, and he proceeded in close accordance with papal authority, and therefore twice ventured on the long journey to Rome. There he was consecrated Archbishop of Utrecht by Pope Sergius I in A.D. 695. Upon the recommendation of the Pippin dynasty Willibrord was lavishly endowed with estates by the Frankish nobility, so that he could build churches and monasteries, among them a monastery in Echternach, where he liked to retire to prepare his missionary expeditions. In his activities he suffered many setbacks, until Charles Martell defeated his eternal antagonist Radbod, the Frisian king. In A.D. 719, Saint Boniface visited the hierarch Willibrord and stayed with him for nearly three years, receiving instruction, before setting out for the Germanic lands to preach the Gospel there. Saint Willibrord reposed at the unusual age of 81 years, having made provision for the continuation of his mission. On his 70th birthday he had made a note in the margin of his calendar about the most important dates of his missionary activity, and concluded with the dictum,in Dei nomine feliciter(happily in the name of God), which expresses his unflinching faith in God. He reposed on 7th November, 739, and was laid to rest in Echternach. Very soon after his death he was venerated as a saint, so that more and more pilgrims came to his grave. Willibrord wells and springs, skirting his missionary routes and bearing witness to his great baptizing ministry, were visited by the people to solicit the healing of various nervous diseases, especially of children. TheHoly Martyrs Shamuna, Guria and Habib (15th / 28th) are honoured as the patrons of honourable marriage, largely becauseof a miracle they worked. Thisiswhywe included teachings from the Fathers on marriage in this month’s issue. During the persecution against Christians under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, the two friends Guria and Shamuna,

16 preachers of the word of God, were arrested in the city of Edessa. They refused to offer sacrifice to the gods, and boldly confessed their faith in Christ. For this they were subjected to cruel tortures: they were beaten, hung up by their hands, heavy weights were tied to their feet, and they were cast into a fetid prison. The martyrs endured everything with steadfastness and Shamuna uttered a prayer to the Lord, which one of the wit- nesses to their death recorded: O Lord my God, against Whose will not a single sparrow falls into the snare. It was Thou Who made room for in his sorrow (Ps. 4:1), Who proved the Prophet stronger than lions (Dan. 6), and granted a child of to be victor over torture and flames (Dan.3, 14). Thou knowest also, O Lord, the infirmity of our nature. Thou seest the struggle set before us. Our foe strives to snatch us, the work of Thy right hand, away from Thee and to deprive us of the glory which is in Thee. With Thy compassionate eye watching over us, preserve in us the inextinguishable light of Thy commandments. Guide our steps by Thy light, and make us worthy of Thy Kingdom, for Thou art blessed unto ages of ages.By night, they took the Martyrs out beyond the city and beheaded them. Christians buried their holy bodies with rever- ence. Sometime later,Licinius,the last pagan Emperor,renewed the persecution of the Christians. Habib, a deacon of the Church of Edessa, whom the Emperor ordered to be arrested for his zealous spreading of the true Faith, presented himself before the executioners when he learned they were searching for him. The saint confessed his faith in Christ and was sentenced to be burned alive. The martyr went willingly into the fire and with a prayer surrendered his soul to the Lord. When the fire went out, the mother and kinsmen of the saint found his body unharmed. They buried him next to Saints Shamuna and Guria. After the death of the saints, numerous miracles were wrought by them for those who entreated their help with faith and love. The one we mentioned above happened thus: a certain Gothic soldier, sent to serve at Edessa, while there took a local girl, Euphemia, as his wife. Her mother Sophia was rather suspicious of his intentions and insisted that he vow at the graves of the holy martyrs that his intentions were honourable and that he would

17 always love and cherish her. When he finished his service in Edessa, he took Euphemia with him back to his homeland. It turned out that he had deceived her, for he already had a wife at home, and Euphemia was made to become her slave. Her evil husband threatened to kill her if she revealed to anyone that they had gone through a form of marriage. Euphemia suffered much abuse and humiliation from the wife, who perhaps suspected the truth of the matter. When she gave birth to a son, the jealous Gothic woman, perceiving that he looked like her husband, poisoned him. Euphemia turned with prayer to the holy Martyrs, the witnesses to the perjurer's oath, and the Lord delivered her from her suffering and miraculously returned her to Edessa, where she was welcomed by her mother. Some ver- sions say that when her baby was poisoned she rightly suspected the Gothic officer’s wife, and smeared her cup with some of the poison the baby had been given. The woman died and as a punishment, Euphemia was buried alive with her victim in her tomb, and it was from there that she prayed and the martyrs delivered her. Sometime later the Goth was again sent to serve in Edessa. The whole city learned of his misdeeds after he was denounced by Sophia. The Goth was executed by order of the prefect of the city. We thus pray to the holy martyrs Shamuna, Gurias and Habib for deliverance from family turmoil, the breakdown of trust, and from marital difficulties. Our Venerable Father Nikon, Abbot of Radonezh (17th / 30th) was a disciple and the successor of the great Saint Sergius. Having heard of the angelic life of the Wonderworker, as a young man he came to Saint Sergius to take up the monastic life but the Elder did not accept him, either because of his youth or for some other reason. He sent him to his disciple, Saint Athanasius at Serpukhov, but he also would not immediately receive him. Only after seeing the young man’s persistence did he tonsure him into the monastic schema. The young struggled in prayer, studied Holy Scripture and persevered in virtue and purity. Because of his humility and the way he ful- filled each task assigned him without argument, he was called a “zealot of obedience.” When he reached the age of thirty, hewas

18 ordained to the priesthood. After a certain while, Saint Athanasius blessed him to go to Saint Sergius, who, catching sight of him, said, “It is good that you have come, my child Nikon,” and he happily received him. He gave orders for Saint Nikon to serve the brethren. The disciple passed whole days in monastic labours, and his nights in prayerful conversation with God. Saint Sergius was comforted by his virtuous life. Having received a special insight concerning him, he bade his disciple stay with him. He instructed him in every monastic virtue, ex- plained much about the essence of spiritual life, and six months before his repose, appointed his disciple his successor. Then Saint Sergius withdrew into seclusion. After the repose of Saint Sergius (1392), Nikon carried out his duties exactly as he was instructed by the founder of the monastery. He had the habit of attending all the monastic services, and never did he forsake common tasks,working on an equal footing with all the brethren. But the burden of being the abbot of the monastery weighed upon him. Recalling his quiet life in the Serpukhov Vysotsk monastery with Saint Athanasius, and later with Saint Sergius, he gave up the abbacy and retired to his own cell. For six years the monastery was then guided by the venerable Sava of Storo- zhevsk. In A.D. 1400, Saint Sava founded his own monastery near Zvenigorod, and the brethren entreated Saint Nikon to again take on their direction. He consented, but allotted himself a certain time each day for silence, so as to stand alone before God. When reports began to spread about an invasion of the Russian land by Khan Edigei (1408), Saint Nikon zealously prayed to God to spare the monastery. In a dream the Moscow hierarchs, Saints Peter and Alexis, together with Saint Sergius appeared to him and said that he should not grieve over the impending destruction of the monastery, since it would not become desolate, but would flourish again. The monks left the monastery, taking with them relics, books, and consecrated vessels. When they returned, they saw that their beloved place had been reduced to ashes. But the Saint did not despair, and the brethren began to restore the monastery. First of all a wooden church was built in honour of the Most Holy Trinity. It wasconsecratedon25th September,1411,the anniversary of Saint

19 Sergius’s repose. The monastery was restored, and the venerable Nikon began construction of a stone church over the grave of his spiritual father, Saint Sergius. The workmen uncovered the incorrupt relicsof Saint Sergius on 5th July,1422. Amidst univer- sal rejoicing they placed the relics in a reliquary and at the site a wooden church was built. Saint Nikon later built a new stone church in the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. In honour and memory of his spiritual father, he transferred the sacred relics to this church. Father Nikon employed the finest iconographers, Saints Andrew Rublev and Daniel Cherny, for the adornment of the church. It was then that Saint Andrew painted the renowned icon of the Hospitality of Abraham. Saint Nikon was occupied with the construction of the Trinity church until the end of his life. His own final resting place was revealed to him in a vision before his death. He summoned the brethren and gave them instructions. After receiving the All-Pure Body of Christ and His Precious Blood, Saint Nikon gave the brethren a last blessing and said, “Go forth, my soul, with joy to the place where repose is prepared for you. Christ is calling you.” Having made the sign of the Cross, Saint Nikon reposed on 17th November, 1426. He was laid to rest near the reliquary of Saint Sergius. The hiero- monk Pachomius the Logothete wrote the Service and Life of Saint Nikon, and in the year 1547 the present celebration was inaugurated. ❇❇❇❇❇❇❇ POINTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE “Having spent lockdown re-reading Old Testament. I have a question. Two great figures, Moses and King David were not allowed to see what each of them probably wanted to see most in this world. Moses could not step into the promised land and King David had to leave the building of the Temple to his son because he was a “man of war”. I know that the ways of God are not known to us but still wonder if you may have thought of or come across explanations for that.”-E.H., Basingstoke.

20 HAVE JUST finished catching up on all the things that built up over the “bishopped” days. And will not be able to give much of an answer to your difficult question. Regarding David not building the Temple, we have the prophecy that Nathan made - 2 Samuel7:1-17. I can find nothing in Orthodox sources why this was so; Protestants suggest that it was because he was so blood- stained by his military exploits, but then Solomon was stained by other sins! On Moses not entering the Holy Land, the nearest thing I can find in an Orthodox source is that he would see Christ at the Transfiguration, in which event he represents the dead of the Old Testament (Elias represents those still living) and so he died before receiving the Promise. However the exact and scientific Why is not there. But I do remember old Father Nicanor at Emperor's Gate saying, “People nowadays, keep asking: Why? Why do we have icons Why do we have to go to confession? Why fast?” “Why?” he said, was NOT an Orthodox question! The Orthodox question is“How?” How do I fast? How do I confess? etc., etc. Perhaps his thought, although obviously rather simplistic, explains in some way why the Why ofyourtwo examples is not made fully clear. [Perhaps for our humility’s sake too, we have to leave some questions to the providence of God and trust in that - a necessary lesson for us all]. ❇❇❇❇❇❇❇

NEWS from the Richmond Diocese of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece

NEW ICON CARDS MRM STUDIOS of Aldershot have now produced the new icon cards of theHoly Great Martyr George the Trophy- Bearer. On the reverse, we have printed the troparion and contakion of the saint, and the dates of his two principal feast days. The cards are available from our bookstall at 30p each.

21 IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES

TO HELP YOU plan the year ahead, here are some of the most important celebrations in 2021 (new style, civil calendar dates given):- Thursday,7th January: Christmas Day, our Saviour’s Nativity Tuesday, 19th January: Theophany, His Baptism in Jordan Monday,15th February: the Meeting of the Lord Sunday,21st February: Start of the Lenten Triodion Monday,15th March: Start of Great Lent Sunday,21st March: Triumph of Orthodoxy Wednesday,31st March: Martyrdom of Saint Edward Sunday,4th April: Holy Cross Wednesday,7th April: Annunciation Sunday,25th April: Palm Sunday Friday,30th April: Holy & Great Friday Sunday,2nd May: Pascha / Easter Day Thursday,10th June: Ascension Day Sunday,20th June: Pentecost Monday,28th June: Start of the Apostles’ Fast Monday,12th July: Holy Apostles Peter & Paul Saturday,14th August: Start of the Dormition Fast Thursday,19th August: Transfiguration of our Saviour Saturday,28th August: Dormition of the All-holy Theotokos Thursday,16th September: Saint Edward’s Day Tuesday,21st September: Birth of the All-holy Theotokos Monday,27th September: Exaltation of the Holy Cross Sunday,28th November: Start of the Nativity Fast Saturday,4th December: Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple. MARK all these in your diaries and observe them. It may well be, of course, that for some of them we shall be in lock- down again. Bear this in mind and prepare beforehand. Make sure that you have copies of the services at home so that you can read or chant them there, and so join the household of Faith in prayer. Of course, you are not expected to do the services as in church, but you can perhaps at least read the psalms appointed

22 for the day, the Scriptural readings and the appointed service to the feast or saint. REMEMBER ALSO, and without fail, the Vigils the evening before the Great Feasts, and every Sunday in the year.

BURIALS AT SAINT EDWARD’S FRIDAY, 2nd October: Elena Sazhina of Saltdean, Brighton, was laid to rest in our cemetery. The funeral had been chanted in theLondon Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints, Ennismore Gardens. Fr Dmitry Nedostupenko served at the funeral and at the interment. WEDNESDAY, 14th October:Zoë Philippou of King- ston-upon-Thames was buried here, after the funeral at the Greek Orthodox Church of in Kingston. Archimandrite Aemilianos was the celebrant at both the funeral and the burial. May our Saviour grant rest with His Saints to His handmaidens, Elena and Zoë. Memory Eternal.

VISITORS WEDNESDAY, 21st October,David Lawrence led a party of teachers and students fromKingston University’s His- toric Building Conservation programmesto visit the church. They were brought to the Brotherhood byIan Tomes and Avril Kirby, who had been leading them through the cemetery itself. As there were eighteen of them in all, they divided into three groups to come into the church one after another to respect the regulations for social distancing. The visitors were particularly well-informed and showed a lively interest in the church. ❇❇❇❇❇❇❇

23 PRACTICAL TIP A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE was recently given our people, and by a hierarch of the New Calendarist Church. As our parishioners will know, Metropolitan Photios of Demetrias, one of our hierarchs in Greece, was involved in a very serious road accident. Through God’s mercies latest reports indicate that he is undergoing treatment and responding well. The example I mentioned was given us by His Eminence, Metropolitan Symeon of Phthiotis,ahierarchof the New Calendarist Church in Greece. He twice visited Metropolitan Photios in hospital. This is instruc- tive, and perhaps especially for those of us who have walled ourselves off from the Churches of World Orthodoxy because of their growing deviations from the consensus of the Fathers. In doing this, we are assuredly right; but that does not mean that we must also wall ourselves off from kindness and concern. If we do, we cease to be disciples of Him Who, speaking not simply of those who have fallen away from us or differ from us, but even of those who are actively our enemies, said: Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you (Matt. 5:44). We are then in danger of ceasing to be members of His Church, however “right” our opinions might be, and of falling into the deep, dark well of sectarianism. Such a tempta- tion is very easy to fall into. We should watch ourselves. Then often we will notice that nothing that someone who disagrees with us does, says, or thinks, is seen as commendable by us; this should be a warning sign. It is not without purpose that our Saviour chose a Samaritan (in today’s terms a heretic for the Old Testament faithful) to be the good one in His parable (Luke 10:25-37). Then we might “progress,” and see, or think we see, ulterior motives behind whatever they do or say. Our condition is markedly worse, of course, if we do this with regard to the people with whom we are in agreement, or are fully our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are then approaching the fulness of self-love, a state in which we can see bundles of bad in everyone else, but little or none in ourselves.

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