Saint Paraskevi, "A Sacrifice Out of Love" (Homily by Metr. Augustounos Kantiotes)

By Metropolitan Augustounos (Kantiotes) of Florina

(Delivered at the Monastery of Saint Paraskevi, Milochoriou, Eordaia, on Wednesday 26 July 1967)

Who, my beloved, was Saint Paraskevi whom we are celebrating? What was her life, her words and her miracles? It is not easy to relate these in detail. But let us reverently approach this sacred figure.

Saint Paraskevi was born in the capital of the ancient world, in Rome, during the reign of Emperor Antoninus (138-161 AD). Her wealthy parents, Agathon and Politeia, were Christians, but were childless. They promised, therefore, that if they would be granted a child, it would be dedicated to the Lord. God indeed granted them a girl, and because she was born on Friday ("Paraskevi" in Greek), they gave her the name Paraskevi. They raised her as a Christian. This girl, however, had the misfortune of losing both of her parents while she was still young. She had, on the other hand, the great blessing to have had faith in Christ take root within her at the proper time. As she grew, her love for the Lord lit a fire within her soul. This holy fire, which is not from the earth, but which is lit from Heaven, was so great, that all the waters could not quench it (Song of Songs 8:7). Happy are all those who experience this.

Athenagoras of Athens - Life, Writings, Theology (Fr. George Florovsky)

By Fr. Georges Florovsky    

Athenagoras of Athens, the most lucid and eloquent writer among the Apologists, was most probably a pagan who converted to Christianity. Bossuet considered him the author "of one of the finest and earliest Apologies of the Christian religion." Almost nothing is known of his life except that he was an Athenian and considered himself "a Christian philosopher." St. Photius held that he was the same Athenagoras to whom Boethos, the Platonist, dedicated his work On Difficult Expressions in Plato (Bibl. Cod. 154 f.). He is mentioned by Methodius in De resurrectione (I, 36) and by Philip Sidetes in his lengthy Χριστιανική Ιστορία. About 177 Athenagoras wrote his Plea Regarding Christians — πρεσβεία περι των χριστιανών. Α second work, On the Resurrection of the Dead — περί αναστάσεως νεκρών — has been attributed to him and he was most probably the author.

Saint Thyrsos of Karpasia - Life, Miracles and the Story of His First Icon

By Dr. George Kakkouras

Information about Saint Thyrsos, unfortunately, is scarce.1 These mainly come from the well-known manuscript of Monk Akakios of Karpasia and the Service of the Saint, which is the work of the same Akakios.

Akakios says the following about this lack of information: "Like Saint Philon, the Bishop of Karpasia, where he performed so many miracles, and they are not seen recorded, and like Saint Synesios, who was also a hierarch of Karpasia, whose life cannot be found in any book, or printed, or handwritten manuscript to be seen, and we only have it by word of mouth."2 Likewise little information is provided by the living local tradition concerning Saint Thyrsos.

Saint Thyrsos in the local dialect is also called Therissos. When he lived is unknown, though he is remembered as the third Bishop of Karpasia after the other two well-known and famous bishops of Karpasia, Philon and Synesios.

Homily on the Centurion (Theophanes Kerameus)

Homily 44

On the Centurion

Fourth Sunday of Matthew

By Archbishop Theophanes Kerameus of Taormina (+ 1152)

The evil one opposes good works, always seeking to harm the excellent. Therefore, even today, stirring up the condemned quarrel, he hastened to bring confusion to our assembly and to abolish the word of teaching, entering entirely into that disordered and half-barbarous man. But you appeared to have knowledge of his artifices, and with more prudence opposed his contrivance. Running to the church, and leaving him alone to be demon possessed with inappropriate shouting and babbling, you showed your attention to the teaching word.

At that time "as soon as Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached Him" (Matthew 8:5). Because the Lord, having filled Judea with miracles, kindled more the envy against Him in the souls of the illiterate, "who put light for darkness, and sweet for bitter", according to the words of Isaiah (5:20), now He transmits the grace of miracles also to the Gentiles, thereby showing on the one hand that He came for the salvation of the whole world, and on the other hand clearly checking the unbelief of the Jews with the faith shown by the Gentiles. For the Gentiles are somewhat more ready and much agreeable to believe in Christ. Behold also the diametrically unequal disbelief of the Jews and the willingness of the Gentiles. For, while the Jews drove Him out with curses, the Syrophoenician Gentile called herself unworthy of grace, and begged to be numbered with the lot of dogs and to share in the crumbs that fall from the table of the Jews, which they completely renounced (Matt. 15:26). But this centurion also considers himself completely unworthy to receive the Lord under his roof. Therefore the Jews also reaped the reward of their unbelief, and the Gentiles received grace, and were saved by faith. But let's start the story right away.

Homily One for the Fourth Sunday of Matthew (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Matthew
(4th Sunday of Pentecost)

By St. John of Kronstadt 

In the Gospel of Matthew, which is read today, we read about the Roman centurion who asked Jesus Christ to heal the centurion's servant, about the centurion's great faith in the Lord's omnipotence and His almighty power - to do what He wants, to heal all kinds of diseases with one word and command, to raise the dead, etc., etc. - about how the Lord was amazed at the centurion's simple, unphilosophizing faith, and at the same time pronounced very important words that were instructive for all of us, and, finally, about how the Lord rewarded the centurion's faith with the healing of his servant through a single word.