January 2translatedThis page has been translated from Serbian to English. It may contain minor phrasing or syntactic issues.
Lives of the Saints
1. SAINT SYLVESTER, BISHOP OF ROME
Sylvester was born in Rome and from his youth instructed in worldly wisdom and the Christian faith. Sylvester always directed his life according to the Gospel commandments. Sylvester benefited greatly from the teachings of the priest Timothy, at whose execution for the faith Sylvester himself was present, and beholding the example of the heroic sacrifice of his teacher, Sylvester himself was imbued with such a spirit for his entire life. In his thirtieth year Sylvester became Bishop of Rome. Sylvester corrected the customs of Christians. Thus, for example, Sylvester abolished the fast of every Saturday, as had been held until then by some Christians, and decreed that only Holy Saturday be fasted as well as those Saturdays which fall during fasts. By his prayers and miracles Sylvester helped Emperor Constantine and his mother Helen to convert to the true faith and be baptized. Sylvester assisted Empress Helen in finding the Precious Cross. Sylvester governed the Church of God for twenty years and honorably ended his earthly life, passing into the Heavenly Kingdom.
2. VENERABLE SERAPHIM OF SAROV
Seraphim was one of the greatest Russian ascetics, clairvoyants and wonderworkers. Seraphim was born in 1759 and departed in 1833. Seraphim was distinguished by great humility. When the whole world praised Seraphim, he called himself "poor Seraphim."
3. SAINT THEODOTA
Theodota was the mother of the holy brothers Cosmas and Damian, the unmercenaries and wonderworkers. Theodota lived a God-pleasing life and guided her sons into such a life.
4. VENERABLE AMMON
Ammon was a great ascetic of the fifth century. Ammon was superior of the Tabenisi monastery in upper Egypt. Under his guidance about three thousand monks practiced asceticism. Ammon had the grace-filled gift of wonderworking and clairvoyance. When a certain monk asked Ammon for advice, Ammon said to him: "Be like a transgressor in prison, and just as he constantly asks: when will the judge come, so also question yourself with fear."
Hymn of Praise
O Lord most wondrous, Thou art marvelous in Thy saints, Through Thy saints Thou dost manifest Thyself mighty and merciful, As the sun through the stars, so through Thy saints Thou shinest, To the humble Thou givest strength, and liftest them to Paradise. To the simple Thou distributest wisdom, through them shamest the wise, The poor Thou blessest with blessing, the hungry feedest with heaven. Thou hast saints of every kind, Into sainthood Thou receivest them of every age. Of every age, and of every blood, Without caste, without distinction: the last or the first. Pure from sins, and noble in good deeds, Noble souls, kindred to Thy Christ— These Thou callest saints. And everyone Thou invitest To become a saint. From stains Thou washest them, Washest from sin, that they become white as wool. All the heavens with Thee rejoice in such. Sylvester was such, in him Thou dost rejoice, Because of him Thou distributest blessing also to us.
Reflection
How should you answer those who say: Christ the Wonderworker cannot fit into our logic. Answer simply: you fit into His. Into His logic fits all eternity and all the nobility of time, and there will be found, if you wish, room for you also. If a barrel cannot fit into a thimble, a thimble can fit into a barrel. Blessed Clement of Alexandria says: "Philosophers are children until they become men through Christ...for truth is never merely opinion." Christ came to correct people and therefore also human logic. He is our Logos and our Logic. Therefore we must direct our reason according to Him and not Him according to our reason. He is the corrective of our reason. The sun does not adjust itself to our clock but our clock to the sun.
Contemplation
Contemplate the Lord Jesus Christ as the divine Word (Logos), namely:
1. How the triune God created all things by His Word, that is, by Christ the Lord; 2. How wordless is every person who distances himself from Christ, the Word of God, and in whom there is no Christ.
Homily
on pride and humility
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)
Of all that exists on the four sides of the world, what can make us mortal people proud except foolishness and demonic deception? Did we not come into this world naked and wretched, and will we not depart from it in the same way? All that we have, have we not borrowed, and will we not have to return everything at death? Ah, how many times has this been said and—forgotten! We brought nothing into this world, therefore we can carry nothing out (1 Tim. 6:7), says the all-wise Apostle. And when we offer sacrifice to God, simple bread and simple wine, we say: Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee!, for we have nothing of our own in the world: not a crumb of bread, not a drop of wine—nothing that is not from God. Truly, pride is the daughter of foolishness, the daughter of a darkened mind, born from an evil union with demons. Pride is a wide window through which all our merits and all good deeds quickly evaporate. Nothing makes us so empty before people nor so unworthy before God as pride. If the Lord is not proud, how then shall we be? Who would have more right to be proud than the Lord, who created the world and who holds it by His power? And behold, He humbled Himself to a servant, a servant to the whole world; unto death, death on the cross!
O humble Lord, burn in our hearts the devilish crop of pride with the fire of Thy Holy Spirit, and plant in it the noble crop of humility and meekness. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.