Encomium to our Venerable and God-bearing Father Symeon the New Theologian (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite) - 2 of 5

...continued from part one.

11. Secondly, we find that the divine Symeon attained the rank of the hired servants. For, just as those laborers who were hired by the Lord to work in the vineyard of His commandments bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat without complaint, in the hope of receiving their wages in the evening, as the parable in the Gospel according to Matthew declares (Matthew 20:1–16), so, too, did the venerable Symeon endure with great thanksgiving all the temptations and afflictions that befell him, whether from demons, from human beings, or from his own corrupted nature. For he hoped that, when evening came—that is, at the end of his life—he would receive from the Lord who had hired him a reward for his labor and toil multiplied many times over, indeed ten thousandfold, in the heavens. “When evening had come,” says the Lord of the vineyard to His steward, “call the laborers and pay them their wages” (Matthew 20:8).

And if Moses, in view of the reward that was to come, preferred the reproach of Christ to the royal treasures of Egypt, as Paul says, “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:26), then, in like manner, the divine Symeon, in view of the recompense of the good things to come, preferred poverty to wealth, the humble habit of the monks to the rank of a spatharokoubikoularios, the company and conversation of his ragged elder to the company of emperors clothed in splendor, poor huts to imperial palaces, and humble legumes to the sumptuous dishes of the senators.⁶

Saint Kosmas the Poet, Bishop of Maiuma, in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. Saint Kosmas (685–c. 750 AD), who was probably born in Damascus, was orphaned at an early age and adopted by Sergius, the father of Saint John of Damascus. Sergius was wealthy and held a prominent position in public life as the financial administrator of the Arab caliph. Seeing that both boys had a natural inclination toward learning, Sergius engaged a highly learned and wise man, also named Kosmas, who came from Calabria, to teach them every branch of knowledge, both divine and human. Indeed, within a very short time, the two young men, John and Kosmas, learned grammar and philosophy, astronomy and geometry, as well as poetry and music, under their teacher Kosmas, and they became respected by all. Anyone wishing to understand the extent of their excellence in every field need only examine the writings they produced. After completing their studies, they went to the Lavra of Saint Savvas and became monks. The blessed John was ordained a presbyter by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, while the venerable Kosmas, after being earnestly entreated by the entire Synod of Bishops, was appointed Bishop of the city of Maiuma. Having conducted himself well and guided his flock along the saving paths of the faith, he reached an advanced age and then reposed in the Lord.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 14

The Month of October

Day 14

45. To Young Monks on Diligence in Their Work

(From the Life of Saint Nicholas Sviatosha)

To all of you young monks, your abbot or the older monks assign various obediences. How do you carry them out? We know that some of you fulfill them with patience and humility, laboring day and night. Others, however, do the opposite: they scarcely fulfill their obediences at all, remain idle, and, worst of all, give no rest to others either. They complain about the abbot, protest that the labors assigned to them are supposedly too burdensome, grumble, and cause many to stumble.

What can be said to such men for their instruction? How can they be turned away from idleness? How can they be trained in labor, humility, and patience? Let us say this: First, let lazy monks understand that if idleness is harmful in every station of life, it is altogether destructive for a monk. Second, let them remember that a young monk who wishes to be saved must completely renounce his own will and submit it without complaining to the will of his elders, who are experienced in the spiritual life. Third, in order to acquire the habit of diligence in labor and unconditional obedience, let lazy monks finally learn how the holy monks, who were a thousand times better than they, labored and how they regarded their own obediences.

The Iveron Icon of Moscow: From the Resurrection Gate to the Mystery of Its Fate

 

Among the most beloved icons of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Russian Orthodox Church is the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, venerated for centuries in a chapel beside the Resurrection Gates of Moscow, near Red Square. Known in Russian as the “Iverskaya,” the icon is associated with the celebrated Athonite image of the Mother of God called the “Portaitissa,” or “Gatekeeper,” which is kept at the Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos.

For generations, the Moscow icon was one of the capital’s principal objects of popular devotion. People from every walk of life came before it to pray, give thanks, and seek the intercession of the Mother of God. The chapel became a spiritual landmark of Moscow, and the icon’s reputation for miracles spread throughout Russia.

The history of this sacred image encompasses the spiritual relationship between Russia and the Holy Mountain, the religious life of imperial Moscow, the persecution of the Church under the Soviet regime, and the restoration of Orthodox life after the fall of Communism. It also includes a historical question that remains unresolved: what became of the celebrated icon that stood in the original Moscow chapel, and does that very image still survive?

The Iveron Icon of Moscow: From Mount Athos to Novodevichy Convent

Among the most venerated icons of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Russian Orthodox Church is the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, a copy of the celebrated Athonite wonderworking image known as the Portaitissa, or “Gatekeeper.” Brought from Mount Athos to Moscow in 1648, this sacred image became one of the most treasured spiritual possessions of the Russian capital. For centuries, it was preserved at the Novodevichy Convent, where it remains a focus of Orthodox devotion.

The history of this icon reflects the close spiritual relationship between Russia and the Holy Mountain, the devotion of the Russian Church to the Mother of God, and the perseverance of a sacred image through the upheavals of revolution and religious persecution.

Holy Martyrs Karpos, Papylos, Agathodoros and Agathonike in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. These Holy Martyrs of Christ were physicians by profession and lived during the reign of Emperor Decius and under Valerius, proconsul of Asia. Saint Karpos was the Bishop of Thyateira, while Papylos was a deacon ordained by Saint Karpos. They were arrested by the governor because of their faith in Christ. When questioned, they confessed the name of their Master, Christ, before all. Because they refused to sacrifice to the idols, despite being compelled to do so, they were bound tightly to horses and made to walk in front of a chariot, thus being dragged toward Sardis. There they were hung on a wooden frame and scraped. At that time, Saint Agathodoros, who was a servant of the Saints and had been following them, was strengthened by an angel of God and also confessed Christ. As a result, he was hung up and beaten very severely with rods. Thus, through these blows, he surrendered his spirit to the Lord.

Saint Karpos, while hanging there, smiled. The governor then asked him:

“Why did you laugh, Karpos?”

“I saw the glory of my Lord and rejoiced,” he replied.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: October 13

The Month of October

Day 13

44. In Time of Illness, One Should Seek Healing First from God, Not from a Physician

(The Sufferings of the Holy Martyrs Karpos and Papylos)

When illness befalls one of us, should we call upon a physician to deliver us from it, or not? We should, because the word of God also advises us to do so. “Honor the physician with the honor due to him, according to your need of him” (Sirach 38:1), it says; and elsewhere: “And give the physician his place” (Sirach 38:12).

Now for another question: should we call upon a physician as soon as illness strikes, or not? No. First of all, we must turn to God and beseech Him to heal us of our illness, and only then call upon a physician. Why? Because our life and death are in the hands of God. Consequently, only God can heal us, while the physician is merely an instrument in His hands. If God does not wish to have mercy on us, the physician will be unable to bring us any relief from our illness. Perhaps you would like proof of this? Very well. We shall gladly provide it.

Encomium to our Venerable and God-bearing Father Symeon the New Theologian (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite) - 1 of 5

In 1784, two years after the publication of the Philokalia, Saint Makarios of Corinth returned to Mount Athos and encouraged Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite to undertake the preparation of an edition of the writings of Saint Symeon the New Theologian (949–1022). With the assistance of Dionysios Zagoraios, who translated the texts into modern Greek, Nikodemos gathered the scattered manuscripts and published them together in 1790. He also composed a Service of Praise and an Encomium in honor of Saint Symeon, intended to be read on his feast day, October 12. In this Encomium, Saint Nikodemos praises Saint Symeon’s holiness, theological wisdom, and spiritual greatness, presenting him as a model of the life in Christ. The following is an English translation of this Encomium, presented here for the first time.

Encomium to our Venerable and God-bearing Father Symeon the New Theologian 

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

1. Today a common joy has dawned upon the whole world; today a mysterious gladness has shone forth upon the inhabited earth; today a spiritual rejoicing has seized the entire Church of Christ. For what reason? And why? Because of the joyous feast and splendid celebration of Saint Symeon the New Theologian.

Holy Martyrs Probos, Tarachos and Andronikos in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. These Saints lived when Diocletian was consul in Rome and Flavian was governor. Tarachos was advanced in age, Roman by birth, and a soldier by profession. Probos was from Side in Pamphylia, while Andronikos was from the city of Ephesus in Ionia. During the persecutions that had broken out against the Christians at that time, all three were arrested.

They crushed Tarachos’s jaws and neck with stones, burned his hands with fire, and suspended him on a wooden frame amid suffocating smoke. Next, they poured vinegar into his nostrils and seared his breasts with red-hot spits. They cut off his ears with a razor, flayed his head, and threw him to the beasts. Finally, after cutting him into pieces with a knife, he offered his soul to God.

The valiant Probos was first beaten with rawhide thongs. Then they burned his feet with red-hot irons and suspended him on a wooden frame. There they seared his back and sides with red-hot spits, and pierced his shins with other spits. Finally, after cutting him to pieces with knives as well, he reached his blessed end.

The divine Andronikos was suspended on a wooden frame, his shins slashed with sharp irons, and his sides pierced through. Then the executioners rubbed salt into his wounds, cut off his tongue and lips, and, after cutting nearly his entire body to pieces with knives, he too surrendered his spirit into the hands of God.