December 21verifiedThis page has been verified with a close reading. It should read in natural hagiographic English.
Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYR JULIANA AND SIX HUNDRED THIRTY MARTYRS WITH HER
This glorious virgin and martyr was born in Nicomedia of pagan parents. Hearing from someone the Gospel preaching, Juliana with her whole heart turned to Christ and began to live strictly according to the Lord's commandments. A certain senator Eleusius was her betrothed. To turn him away from herself, Juliana said to him that Juliana would not marry him unless Eleusius became eparch of that city. Juliana proposed this to him thinking that this young man would never be able to attain to that high rank. But Eleusius exerted himself, and by flattery and bribery was appointed eparch of Nicomedia. And then Juliana revealed to him that she was a Christian, and that she could not enter into marriage with him until Eleusius accepted her faith, saying: What does it profit us to be united bodily but divided in spirit? At this Eleusius became embittered and accused her to her father. The wrathful father mocked her and beat her, and then handed her over to the eparch for interrogation. The eparch commanded that they beat her severely, and then cast her all wounded and bloodied into prison. But the Lord healed her in prison, and Juliana appeared before the eparch completely whole. The eparch cast her into a heated furnace, but the fire did not burn her. Seeing this miracle, many believed in Christ God. There were five hundred men and one hundred thirty women of such converts. All of these the eparch condemned to death and commanded that they be beheaded with a sword. Their souls passed into Paradise. Then the evil judge condemned holy Juliana to beheading with a sword. Joyful in spirit, Juliana went out to the place of execution, prayed to God on her knees and laid her head upon the block. Her head was cut off, and her soul went into the Kingdom of Christ's eternal light, in the year 304. God's punishment soon overtook Eleusius. Sailing on the sea, his ship was wrecked, and Eleusius fell into the water. But Eleusius did not find death in the water, but swam to a certain island, where dogs tore him apart and devoured him.
2. SAINT PETER THE WONDERWORKER, METROPOLITAN OF RUSSIA
Peter was born in the Volyn region, and in his twelfth year he received the monastic rank. He was a wondrous ascetic and iconographer and founded a monastery on the Rata River, where he was abbot. Even against his will Peter was appointed Metropolitan of Kiev and consecrated in Constantinople by Patriarch Athanasius. As metropolitan he suffered much from envious persons and heretics. Peter governed the Church for eighteen years as a good and zealous shepherd. During his life he built himself a tomb in the Dormition Cathedral, where to this day his holy and wonderworking relics repose. Peter reposed in the year 1326 and passed to his true homeland.
3. HOLY MARTYR THEMISTOCLES
As a shepherd Themistocles kept young sheep in a certain field near the city of Myra in Lycia. At that time the tormentors of Christians were pursuing Saint Dioscorides, and they came upon Themistocles in the field and asked whether Themistocles had seen the one being pursued, and whether Themistocles knew where the man was hiding. Although Themistocles knew, Themistocles would not betray him, but declared himself also a Christian. Themistocles was tortured and beheaded in the time of Decius in the year 251.
Hymn of Praise
The glorious mother of Peter the saint, When she was pregnant with Peter, She dreamed a dream and saw in it How she held a lamb in her arms, A white lamb with slender horns, Between the horns a tree most beautiful. On the tree fragrant flowers, And upon the flowers aromatic fruits, Its branches were adorned with candles, Bright candles like brilliant stars, And they gave off a heavenly fragrance. The mother's dream wondrously came true: The meek lamb prefigured Peter, Its horns—Peter's manliness, The beautiful tree—the saint's soul, The varied flowers—the multitude of virtues, And the fruits—the works of mercy, The bright candles—the faith in his prayers. What to the mother in image was revealed, Was shown in Peter in truth.
Reflection
Whoever ascends to the Kingdom of Christ must encounter obstacles. These obstacles are both numerous and varied. Especially dangerous are demonic deceptions. Therefore every zealot of the spiritual life must be especially cautious, and not accept every luminous apparition from the other world as a divine apparition. That even the devil can appear as an angel of light is proven by the life of Saint Martyr Juliana. When this holy virgin was lying in prison, the devil appeared to her in angelic light and began to advise her to offer sacrifice to idols, so that the torturer would not torment her further. The frightened Juliana asked: Who art thou? The devil answered: I am God's angel! God cares much for thee, therefore He sent me with a message, that thou shouldst submit to the eparch, so that thy body would not be crushed by torments; the Lord is gracious and will forgive thee this because of the weakness of thy wounded body. The martyr was horrified at these words and became confused, and fell weeping to prayer to God, that He would reveal to her who it was that had spoken with her. Then a voice came to her from heaven: Be of good courage, Juliana, I am with thee, I give thee power and strength over him who came to thee, and from him thyself thou shalt learn who he is. And the devil was bound and compelled to confess that he was the same one who deceived Eve in Paradise, who incited Cain to kill Abel, and Herod to slay the infants of Bethlehem, and the Jews to stone Stephen, and Nero to crucify Peter upside down and to behead Paul, etc. And thus this holy virgin, girded with God's power, did not allow herself to be deceived by the evil spirit, but conquered him by her cautious and ardent prayer to God.
Contemplation
Contemplate David's repentance, namely:
1. How King David did not sin while he was a shepherd and a subject citizen; 2. How David sinned against God as king; 3. How David immediately saw his sin, confessed it and repented bitterly.
Homily
on the Prophet Elijah
As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word (1 Kings 17:1)
These words sound terrible to every mortal ear, for a man spoke them, a man of like passions as we are (James 5:17). You ask, brethren, how can a mortal man shut up heaven and stop the rain. But ask yourselves how can a mortal man open heaven and bring down rain on the dry earth. And we know that even now by the prayers of men God opens heaven and gives rain. All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive, said our Savior (Matt. 21:22). Just as Moses by living faith and prayer worked terrible wonders in Egypt and in the wilderness; just as Joshua stopped the course of the sun, so also did God's prophet Elijah shut and open heaven, and bring down fire from heaven, and perform other mighty and terrible wonders, all by faith and prayer. God gave power to Elijah to work such wonders because Elijah was zealous for God's glory and not for his own glory. I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts (1 Kings 19:14). This man of God sought nothing for himself but everything for God. God was everything to him: all glory, all power, all treasure. Therefore God crowned him with imperishable glory, terrible power, and treasure which does not decay and moths do not eat. Therefore God did not permit Elijah to die, but took him to heaven as He did Enoch. Holy Elijah was of pure soul as the morning dew, of chaste body as a child, of blameless heart and mind as God's angel. Therefore Elijah was and remained a vessel of God's power. Therefore Elijah worked wonders then and works them today.
O living Lord, God of Thy prophet Elijah, who hast adopted us as sons through baptism by Thy holy grace, kindle also in us the faith and zeal of Thy holy prophet. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.