January 17translatedThis page has been translated from Serbian to English. It may contain minor phrasing or syntactic issues.
The Lives of the Saints
1. VENERABLE ANTHONY THE GREAT
Anthony was an Egyptian, born around the year 250 in a village called Coma near Heraclea. After the death of his noble and wealthy parents, he divided the inherited estate with his underage sister, provided for her with certain relatives, distributed his portion of the estate to the poor, and in his twentieth year devoted himself to the ascetic life, for which he had yearned from childhood. At first he practiced asceticism near his village, but in order to avoid disturbances from people, he withdrew into the desert, to the shores of the Red Sea, where as a recluse he spent twenty years associating with no one except God through unceasing prayer, meditation and contemplation, patiently enduring inexpressible demonic temptations. His fame spread throughout the whole world, and around him gathered a multitude of disciples, whom he directed by example and words onto the path of salvation. In eighty-five years of his ascetic life he went to Alexandria only twice, the first time seeking martyrdom during the persecution of the Church, and the second time at the invitation of Saint Athanasius, in order to refute the slander of the Arians as though he too was an adherent of the Arian heresy. He ended his life in the one hundred fifth year of his life, leaving behind him an entire army of disciples and imitators. Although Anthony was unlearned in books, he became a counselor and teacher to the most learned people of that time, such as Saint Athanasius the Great. When certain Greek philosophers tested him with book wisdom, Anthony shamed them with the question: "Which is older: reason or book? and which (of these two) was the cause of the other?" The shamed philosophers dispersed, for they saw that they had only book memory without reason, while Anthony had reason. Behold a man who attained such perfection as man can generally attain on earth. Behold an educator of educators and a teacher of teachers, who for a full eighty-five years improved himself, and only thus could improve many others as well. Filled with many years and great deeds, Anthony reposed in the Lord in the year 335.
2. SAINT EMPEROR THEODOSIUS THE GREAT
This glorious and zealous emperor reigned from 379-395. Constantine the Great forbade the persecution of Christians, but Theodosius the Great went one step further: he forbade idolatrous sacrifices in his state. He helped greatly that the Christian faith be established and spread throughout the world.
3. HOLY MARTYR GEORGE THE NEW OF IOANNINA
George was an Albanian, born in the village of Churkli in Albania of very poor farmers. Forced by the Turks to convert to Islam, he remained steadfast in the Christian faith, for which he was hanged in Ioannina on January 17, 1838. A great wonderworker and healer to this very day.
Hymn of Praise
Above all divisions, above all classes, The dispassionate God stands, Lord of hosts. He hates not the rich, is not ashamed of the poor, Fears not the mighty, calls the sinner: draw near! He recruits saints for Himself from everywhere; This one who begs, that one who reigns Like a cherry picker who chooses only sweet cherries No matter whether from rough or smooth branches. The Lord weaves all into one beautiful wreath, Only when souls are repentant and holy. Marvelous Anthony fasted a whole age, Theodosius with Christ feasted the whole world, And Ioannina's George shed blood for Christ— All three the Lord immortally loved. The Lord has no hatred toward His harvest Nor weakness of other created worlds. He is equal to all, but not all to Him. Obliging to everyone, merciful to everything, Always above everything and above all classes, Always the dispassionate God—Lord of hosts.
Reflection
Saint Anthony teaches: "Love humility, it will cover all your sins. All sins are hateful before God, but the most hateful of all is pride of heart... Do not consider yourself learned among the wise, otherwise your labor will perish, and your boat will arrive empty at the shore... If you have great power, do not threaten anyone with death: know that by nature you too are subject to death, and that every soul removes like the last garment from itself—its body."
In Byzantium there existed a strange and instructive custom at the coronation of emperors in Hagia Sophia. Namely, when the patriarch placed the crown on the emperor's head, he simultaneously handed into his hands a silk bag filled with earth from a grave. So that even emperors would remember death, avoid all pride, and be humble.
Contemplation
Contemplate the persecution of the Lord Jesus for righteousness' sake, namely: 1. The persecution of Him as a child by Herod; 2. As man and Messiah by the Jewish scribes and elders; 3. As God by many modern scribes and elders, both Jewish and Christian.
Homily
on the two different wisdoms
The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God (1 Corinthians 3:19)
This too is a great novelty which Christianity proclaims to the world. One thing is wisdom according to God and from God, and another thing is wisdom according to the world and from the world. Wisdom according to God is from the Holy Spirit; the apostles were filled with such wisdom when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Wisdom according to the world is from the senses and from matter, and it represents true foolishness before God, if it is not salted and inspired by God's Holy Spirit.
All wisdom about the world which is guided only by bodily senses without regard for God's Spirit is foolishness before God and God's angels, for such wisdom sees neither the spirit nor the meaning of this world, but knows this world only as ashes outwardly and as ashes inwardly, as ashes which the wind of chance piles up and unpiles now this way now that way.
All wisdom about man which is guided only by the senses and bodily conjectures and imaginings is foolishness before God and the angels and God's saints, for it does not know man as man, that is, as a spiritual being, kindred to God, but knows him only as body outwardly and as body inwardly, as body in form and as body in essence. The same as if a monkey looking at a railroad locomotive explained it, saying: that is iron outwardly, and iron inwardly, iron that heats, iron that drives, iron that gives direction, iron that stops!
Who can be filled with God's wisdom, brethren, except one who first empties himself of the world's foolishness? And with God's help this each of us can do. And to our willing and labor God's help unfailingly comes to meet us. For God is goodness itself, wisdom and holiness.
O Lord, gentle, wise and holy, fill us with Your life-giving wisdom. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.