November 14translatedThis page has been translated from Serbian to English. It may contain minor phrasing or syntactic issues.
Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY APOSTLE PHILIP
Philip was a native of Bethsaida by the Sea of Galilee, like Peter and Andrew. Taught Holy Scripture from childhood, Philip immediately responded to the call of the Lord Jesus and followed Him (John 1:43). After the descent of the Holy Spirit, Philip zealously preached the Gospel throughout many regions of Asia and throughout Greece. In Greece the Jews sought to kill him, but the Lord saved him by His mighty miracles. Thus a Jewish high priest who rushed at Philip to beat him suddenly went blind and turned completely black. And there was a great earthquake, and the earth opened and swallowed up Philip's malicious persecutors. And many other miracles occurred, especially healings of the sick, through which many pagans believed in Christ. In the Phrygian city of Hierapolis, Saint Philip found himself on a common evangelical mission with John the Theologian, his sister Mariamne, and the Apostle Bartholomew. There was there a certain dangerous serpent which the pagans carefully nourished and worshiped as a god. The apostles of God by prayer as with a spear killed that serpent. By this they drew upon themselves the wrath of the darkened people. And the enraged pagans seized Philip and crucified him upside down on a tree, and then crucified Bartholomew also. Then the earth opened and swallowed up the judge and many others with him. In great fear the people ran to take down the crucified apostles. But they succeeded only in taking down Bartholomew alive; Philip had already expired. Bartholomew appointed as bishop for the baptized Stachys, whom he and Philip had previously healed of blindness and baptized. Stachys had been blind for forty years. The relics of Saint Philip were later transferred to Rome. This wondrous apostle suffered in the year 86 in the time of Emperor Domitian.
2. SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS, ARCHBISHOP OF THESSALONICA
Gregory's father was a prominent official at the court of Emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus. The gifted Gregory, having completed secular studies, did not wish to enter court service but withdrew to the Holy Mountain and became a monk. He struggled ascetically in Vatopedi and the Lavra. He waged battle with the heretic Barlaam and finally defeated him. He was consecrated as Metropolitan of Thessalonica in the year 1347. He was celebrated both as an ascetic and as a theologian and as a hierarch and as a wonderworker. There appeared to him in turn: the Most Holy Theotokos, Saint John the Theologian, Saint Demetrius, Saint Anthony the Great, Saint Chrysostom, and the angels of God. He governed the Church of Thessalonica for thirteen years, of which one year he spent in captivity among the Saracens in Asia. He reposed peacefully in the year 1360 and passed into the Kingdom of Christ. His relics repose in Thessalonica, where there is also a beautiful church bearing his name.
3. SAINT JUSTINIAN, BYZANTINE EMPEROR
Justinian was a Slav by origin, likely a Serb, from the region of Skopje. His Slavic name was Upravda. He succeeded to the throne his uncle Justin. The entire greatness of this emperor is inseparably bound to his deep Orthodox faith. He believed and lived according to the faith. During Great Lent he ate no bread nor drank wine, but nourished himself with vegetables and drank water, and that during the day. He waged war against the Danube barbarians solely because they mutilated captives. This shows his exalted sense of love for mankind. He was fortunate and successful both in wars and in works. He built a great number of magnificent churches, among them the most beautiful of the most beautiful – Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. He collected and published Roman laws. He himself issued many strict laws against immorality and licentiousness. He composed the church hymn "Only-begotten Son and Word of God" which began to be sung at the Liturgy from the year 536. He convened the Fifth Ecumenical Council in 553. He ended his life peacefully on November 14, 565, in the eightieth year of his life, and passed into the Kingdom of the heavenly King.
Hymn of Praise
Justinian the great and glorious, Knight of the Cross and Orthodox emperor, Raised a temple to Divine Wisdom That it might endure to the threshold of eternity, A second sun – to shine on earth, That generations might be warmed by it, And worship the Incarnate Word, That they might know Christ's beauty, The Kingdom of God's boundless height, With the height, boundless depth, With the depth, boundless breadth, With the breadth, boundless length. Like the sun amid a summer's day Shone forth the crown of Emperor Justinian, Shone forth the crown of God's servant, In wisdom the most wise And in power the most powerful, Yet in faith the most faithful. O great Orthodox emperor, Thy churches never age, Thy faith still shines throughout the world, This is the radiance of Orthodox Christ, Holy emperor, pray to Christ, That this faith may withstand time.
Reflection
Saint Gregory Palamas learned much through heavenly revelations. When he had spent three years in silence in a cell of the Holy Lavra, it was necessary for him to go out among people and benefit people with his gathered knowledge and experience. God made this known to him through an extraordinary vision. One day, as if half-asleep, Gregory saw himself holding in his hands a vessel full of milk, but so full that it was overflowing, but gradually the milk transformed into wine, which also overflowed the edges of the vessel and moistened his hands and garments. Then a radiant youth appeared to him and said to him: "Why wouldst thou not give also to others of that wondrous drink which thou thus wastest without care? Or perhaps thou knowest not that this is the gift of God's grace?" To this Gregory answered: "But if in these times there is no one who feels the need for such a drink – to whom should I give it?" Then the youth told him that whether or not there were those who thirsted for such a drink, he was obliged to fulfill his duty and not neglect the gift of God. Gregory interpreted the milk as ordinary instruction to the mass of people about moral life and conduct, and the wine as teaching of a dogmatic character. – Another time Gregory had shut himself in a monastery and there was writing his Principles of Orthodoxy. On the eve of the feast of Saint Anthony the Great, the monks summoned him to the vigil, but he remained at his occupation in his cell. All the brethren went to the church. Suddenly Saint Anthony appeared to him and said: "Good and perfect is silence, but sometimes fellowship with the brethren is also necessary." Convinced by this revelation, Gregory immediately set out for the church, to the joy of all the monks.
Contemplation
Contemplate the wondrous creation of light (Gen. 1), namely:
1. How over the formless earth there was darkness everywhere; 2. How God said, Let there be light, and there was light; 3. How God divided the light from the darkness, and there was day and there was night.
Homily
on Paul the prisoner
I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles (Eph. 3:1)
Thus the apostle of Christ, brethren, calls himself a prisoner of Christ. How can it be that an apostle should be a prisoner? Is not a prisoner bound? Yes, but the apostle too is bound, bound by love for the Lord Jesus so powerfully that he feels no other bond on earth, as though it did not even exist. The apostle is bound also by his mind to the Lord Jesus so strongly that he can think nothing apart from Jesus Christ the Lord. The apostle is bound also by his will to the Lord Jesus so firmly that he truly has no will of his own, but has perfectly subjected his will to the will of the Lord Jesus. And thus he loves what Christ loves, thinks what Christ thinks, does what Christ wills. Is this not bondage? O blessed bondage, which is not unto shame but unto glory, and not unto destruction but unto salvation! And thus Christ is the complete master of the apostle's life, both externally and internally. For both externally and internally He permits temptations to come upon him; externally and internally He reveals to him the wonders of His providence; externally and internally He guides him toward the perfect good for his salvation and for the salvation of many others. Let us also, brethren, surrender ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ like His apostles. And then we shall be in the most secure hands and on the most secure path.
O Lord Jesus Christ, great and wondrous Lord, bind us to Thyself, take us captive to Thyself forever – forever in both worlds. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.