June: Day 24: Teaching 1: The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

June: Day 24: Teaching 1:
The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

(Good and Pious Children Are the Fruit of the Fervent Prayers of Their Parents)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The nativity of the great Forerunner of the Lord is very remarkable for the fact that his birth itself was unusual and miraculous, that it was the fruit of the fervent, lifelong prayers of his parents, the reward of their faith and hope, their righteousness and piety, their patience and devotion to the will of God.

The holy parents of the Forerunner of the Lord were righteous and pious. Yet, these great righteous figures faced a temptation that was more unfortunate than any affliction recorded in the Old Testament Church. "They had no children" from the beginning of their married life until old age, which at that time was considered a clear indication of God's disfavor and seemingly an act of rejection by God. One can imagine, dear brethren, how fervent were the prayers of these pious spouses, who, despite their diligence in following God's law and their earnest efforts to "walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly," found themselves deprived of God's blessing; so, all these prayers seemingly went unheard. But in heaven, all their prayers were heard, all their sighs and tears were counted; there was prepared for them such a reward that abundantly fulfilled their long-standing deprivation. To them, in their old age, when they themselves had ceased to hope, they were granted such a son, "one greater than He has not risen among those born of women," whose birth was a cause of universal joy, whose life was a wonder to the holy angels, an object of reverence to the entire people of Israel, who was sent by God to prepare the way for the coming Redeemer of the world. A righteous reward for long-standing, lifelong patience and hope!

Second Sunday of Pentecost: The Lord's Calling of the First Disciples

Second Sunday of Pentecost

The Lord's Calling of the First Disciples

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

Upon seeing two young brothers – Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, casting nets into the sea, the Savior, almost in passing, said to them: "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). The brothers did not inquire of their Divine Master – who He was, what authority commanded them, or where He would lead them; rather, they immediately left their nets and followed the Savior. As He walked further with them, Jesus Christ saw two more brothers – James and John, sitting with their father Zebedee in a boat, mending their nets. The Son of God, who perceives the hearts and innermost beings of men, called these young men as well; and they immediately responded with complete readiness to the calling voice: they left their father, the boat, and the nets and went after Jesus.

Homily for the Second Sunday After Pentecost, the Sunday of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily for the Second Sunday After Pentecost, the Sunday of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1964)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Beloved in Christ! Today the Orthodox Church solemnly celebrates the bright memory of all the saints who shone forth in the Russian land, glorified by God for their God-pleasing deeds and holy life. These are the firstborn of the Orthodox Russian people, redeemed by the priceless Blood of Christ and sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, brought to God the Father by Jesus Christ. These are the blessed fruits of the holy Orthodox faith, Christianity, planted among our Russian people.

Remember what our Fatherland was before the adoption of Christianity? A wild, barbaric country where human sacrifices were made to idols, where life was spent in wars, debauchery, cruelty and violence. But as soon as the ray of Christian faith shone in Russia, the life of the people was immediately reborn. From a cruel, depraved pagan people, under the influence of the Christian faith, our people became a meek people, distinguished by a rare kindness of soul, simplicity of faith, devotion to Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, such devotion that for the Orthodox faith, Russian people were always ready not to spare even their own lives.

June: Day 22: Holy Hieromartyr Eusebius of Samosata

 

June: Day 22:
Holy Hieromartyr Eusebius of Samosata
 
(On Obedience To Civil Authority)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Eusebius, whose memory is celebrated today, lived in the 4th century and was bishop in the city of Samosata (on the Euphrates River) in the Antiochian metropolis. He waged a long and tireless struggle against heretics and suffered much under Constantius, who patronized the Arians. Under Emperor Julian, Eusebius, hiding his bishopric, went around various regions to confirm Christians in the faith and support them. At this time, he also restored several churches and ordained many priests and deacons.

Upon the ascension of Jovian, Eusebius and other holy figures were restored to their thrones. The pious emperor respected them, while the heretics feared them. However, the Church did not enjoy peace for long, as Jovian soon passed away; after him, Valens ascended to the throne and once again instigated persecution against the Orthodox faith, exiling shepherds into banishment. Eusebius was imprisoned in Thrace, and in his stead an Arian was appointed. Eusebius learned of his exile while in Samosata; preparing to leave the city, he asked the messenger to keep this matter confidential, so that the people would not harm the messenger bringing news of their separation from the bishop. Under the cover of night, he left the episcopal residence, but upon crossing the Euphrates, he was halted by the townsfolk who had learned of his departure, and they wept, beseeching him to return. Eusebius persuaded them not to resist royal authority and to return to their homes, and, having blessed everyone, continued his journey to Thrace, from where he returned during the time of Gratian, who summoned the exiled bishops back to their flocks. However, he soon died from a wound inflicted upon him by an Arian woman who had thrown a vessel from the roof, which struck the bishop on the head... As he was dying, he bequeathed that the woman should not be punished.

Homily Three for the Second Sunday of Matthew (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Three for the Second Sunday of Matthew 
(2nd Sunday of Pentecost)

By St. John of Kronstadt

"And they (Peter and Andrew) immediately left their nets and followed Him (i.e. Christ)" (Matt. 4:20).

The Gospel of Matthew, read today, tells of the calling of four simple and uneducated fishermen to the apostolic ministry: the two brothers, Peter and Andrew, the sons of Jonas, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee the fisherman. It speaks of their immediate and resolute following of the Savior for the great work of the salvation of mankind; of the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom by Jesus Christ throughout Galilee, and of His healing of all kinds of diseases and infirmities among people. Let us strive, through pious reflection and discussion, to derive benefit from the Gospel read today. 

What lessons can we learn from this Gospel? The exemplary act of the simple fishermen towards Jesus Christ is quite instructive for us; their firm, unquestioning, and unwavering resolve to immediately follow Christ in all things and everywhere, their perfect obedience without any hesitation, their selflessness and impartiality towards earthly so-called goods, which are so dear to everyone – namely: to home, to parents, to wives, to other relatives, to the joyful and honest occupation of fishing and others. But you may say: we cannot emulate the apostles, we cannot leave everything behind and follow Christ, who now does not visibly walk the earth.

Homily Two for the Second Sunday of Matthew (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Two for the Second Sunday of Matthew 
(2nd Sunday of Pentecost)

By St. John of Kronstadt

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).

These words were spoken, my brethren, by Jesus Christ to two fishermen and blood brothers: Peter, who later became the foremost apostle, and Andrew, who was subsequently called the First-Called. “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men;” that is, "follow Me" in My footsteps, in the footsteps of selflessness, total love for God and for humanity, towards the true, heavenly, eternal homeland; in the footsteps of meekness, humility, patience, and gentleness, with complete self-denial: "and I will make you fishers of men," meaning that instead of fish, you will catch people, drawing them from the abyss of sin into holiness, from the turbulent sea of this life into the Kingdom of Heaven.

But why did the Lord say to Peter and Andrew that He would make them fishers of men? He said this in relation to their trade or their vocation, so that they might understand their future calling more easily from His brief words, and to make their transition from one occupation to another — from the similar to the similar, from catching fish to catching men — more convenient, so to speak. Today, we will discuss with you, brethren, what spiritual fishing for men is, what it should be like, what one we should aspire to, and what we should avoid.

Heresy and Theological Methodology

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Usually, heresy is limited to theoretical teaching and one who deviates from the established dogmas of the Church is considered heretical. However, we should see heresy in terms of its inner dimension. For, just as dogmas are an expression of revelation, and the application of dogmas leads to experience, so heresy is a deviation from revelation, but at the same time it destroys the path to theosis. It is as if there were a hospital that cannot heal human beings.

The reversal of the experience of Pentecost occurs because heretics deny the teaching of the deified Fathers of the Church, that is, abandoning the revelatory truth, they rely mainly on their reasoning, their reflection. This means that heretics rely more on philosophy, which is full of thoughts, reflections and fantasies, and do not rely on the revelations of God. Because they rely on philosophical principles, in reality they also deny the teaching that leads to the vision of God. The heretic cannot know God, because he does not know the method of theology. Every science has a theory and this is confirmed by experiment and every verification of the experiment leads to the same theory.

June: Day 21: Holy Martyr Julian of Tarsus

June: Day 21:
Holy Martyr Julian of Tarsus
 
(On Heavenly Blessedness)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyr Julian, whose memory is celebrated today, after the death of his father, a pagan, lived with his Christian mother in the Cilician city of Tarsus and was raised by her in the Christian faith. During the persecution of Christians under Diocletian, the young Julian, the son of a former senator, was persecuted and tortured for his faith. For a year he was tortured in various ways in different places in the Cilician region. His mother followed him everywhere and was finally seized in the city of Aegeus, when she asked permission to visit her son in prison, under the pretext of persuading him to renounce Christ, while she herself begged him to remain firm in the faith even to death. Then she, too, was given over to torture along with her son; the heels of her feet were cut off; and Julian, after terrible torments, was condemned to a cruel death: he was thrown into the sea in a sack filled with reptiles. He suffered at the age of 18, in the year 290.

Nicholas Cabasilas, A Model Orthodox Theologian

By Elder Vasilios Gontikakis, 

former Abbot of the Monastery of Iveron

Nicholas Cabasilas assures us that “the Church is expressed in the Mysteries.” And with Cabasilas himself – as a true and holy believer – the whole Church is expressed and revealed, because within the Church he has become Christ by grace and all his ethos, namely his speech and behavior, have the grace and character of the Divine Liturgy and the God-man Lord.

We can see this in the interpretation he makes of the Divine Liturgy and in the fourth discourse of “The Life in Christ,” which he dedicates to the mystery of the Divine Eucharist.

A

He begins the presentation of the Divine Liturgy simply and humbly. He speaks of what the liturgist does and says in it. He mentions the formalities. He speaks of the Holy Prothesis. He shows it as symbolizing the cave of the Nativity. He speaks of the asterisk that is placed on top of the holy diskarion, covers the Lamb and symbolizes the star, which came and stood above where the Child was.

June: Day 20: Holy Hieromartyr Methodios of Patara

June: Day 20:
Holy Hieromartyr Methodios of Patara
 
(On Dissatisfaction With One's Condition)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Hieromartyr Methodios, whose memory is celebrated today, lived at the end of the 3rd century and was a bishop in the city of Patara in Lycia. From his youth he was distinguished by his love for God and the Church, so he entered the Church clergy and became a priest, and then a bishop. He was a very learned man. 

In his time there were disputes about Origen's teaching on the pre-existence of souls and evil spirits, and many were carried away by this teaching. Saint Methodios, through his teachings and writings, exposed the error. He suffered many sorrows for this. Finally, he accepted a martyr's death for the faith of Christ. Saint Methodios left many works written very eloquently.

In his essay on free will, Methodios, in rebuking those who are dissatisfied with their participation, says: “To grumble about the lack of earthly blessings is not wise: a person should be above everything earthly; God created a person for activity, and not for pleasures that relax the soul and body. Perfect equality is impossible – diversity is an attribute of perfection; poverty is allowed either as a punishment for sins, or as a warning against sins.”

June: Day 19: Teaching 2: Venerable Paisios the Great

June: Day 19: Teaching 2:
Venerable Paisios the Great

(How Should Parental Love for Children Be Expressed?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Paisios, whose memory is celebrated today, lived in the 5th century, was a native of Egypt, the son of rich and pious parents, who generously gave charity to all those in need. While still a youth, he lost his father and lived under the care of his mother, who of her seven sons especially loved Paisios, as the youngest. Paisios's mother often thought about what awaited her son in life. One night, an angel appeared to her in a dream and said: "God, the Father of orphans, has sent me to you. Why are you sad, caring for your children? It is not you alone who cares for them, but God too; leave your sadness and dedicate one of your sons to His service." "All my children belong to God," answered the mother, "and if any of my sons pleases Him, let Him take him." Then the angel, taking Paisios by the hand, said: "This one is pleasing to God." - "Better take one of the older sons, who is more intelligent," asked the mother. "Do you not know," replied the angel, "that the power of God is revealed even in weaknesses, and therefore God chose your younger son, as more capable of pleasing him." With these words, the angel became invisible. In the morning, Paisios' mother offered a fervent prayer to God, then she asked that Paisios be accepted into the Church clergy. Her request was fulfilled, and Paisios began to diligently fulfill the duties entrusted to him. Having reached his youth, Paisios became a monk and became famous for the holiness of his life and the gift of clairvoyance and miracles.

June: Day 19: Teaching 1: Holy Apostle Jude

June: Day 19: Teaching 1:
Holy Apostle Jude

(On Eternal Torment)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. About the Holy Apostle Jude, whose memory is celebrated today, the Church historian Nikephoros writes: “The divine Judas, not Iscariot, but another, who was also called Thaddeus and Lebbaeus, the son of Joseph, the brother of James, who was thrown from the roof of the Temple, cast the net of the holy gospel first in Judea, Galilee, Samaria, Idumea, then the cities of Arabia, Syria and Mesopotamia; finally he came to the city of Edessa, which belonged to King Abgar, and where another Thaddeus, one of the 70 Apostles, preached Christ even before him.”

According to tradition, it is also known that the Apostle Jude preached the gospel in Persia, from where he wrote a Catholic Epistle to believers, short but edifying, in which he protects against false teachers and threatens that as it was with Sodom and Gomorrah, “so it will be with these dreamers, speaking evil of what they know not, grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts (ungodly and lawlessly); whose mouth utters pompous words.” “These are stains in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” The Holy Apostle Jude further writes in his epistle that the Lord, who did not spare even the angels, will punish every sinner who does not try to correct his life.

The Holy Apostle Jude died a martyr in Mesopotamia (around 80 A.D.); he was crucified on a cross. His burial place remains unknown.

June: Day 18: Teaching 2: Holy Martyr Leontios of Tripoli

June: Day 18: Teaching 2:
Holy Martyr Leontios of Tripoli

(The Conquering Power of Christian Kindness)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyr Leontios, whose memory is celebrated today, was a Greek, served as a commander in the Roman army under Emperor Vespasian and lived in the city of Tripoli, near Mount Lebanon. He professed the Christian faith. This is how he was awarded the crown of martyrdom from the pagans together with two warriors, Christians, Hypatios and Theodoulos. Hadrian, a Roman dignitary, a zealot of paganism and an enemy of Christianity, went to Phoenicia to persecute Christians there. Having learned about Leontios, who himself rejected idols and turned others away from worshiping them, Hadrian sent the tribune Hypatios with soldiers after him. Near the city Leontios himself met them with his soldiers and, promising to show them whom they were looking for, invited them to his house for rest, offered them a meal, received them with the same cordiality with which we receive our dear friends, and after the meal announced that he himself was Leontios, a friend not of the pagan gods, but of the Christian. Then Hypatios and the soldier Theodoulos fell at his feet and said: "We too want to be Christians." Leontios prayed; suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed Hypatios and Theodoulos, and rain fell on them from the cloud. Saint Leontios called upon the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and thus baptized them.

June: Day 18: Teaching 1: The Bogolyubov Icon of the Mother of God

June: Day 18: Teaching 1:
The Bogolyubov Icon of the Mother of God

(Can We Always Hope To Receive What We Ask From the Mother of God?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Eternal monuments of the miraculous help of the Queen of Heaven to suffering Christians are Her numerous miraculous icons, which adorn the Russian land. Among them, the Bogolyubov Icon of the Mother of God, the feast in honor of which is now celebrated, has been reverently venerated in Holy Rus' since ancient times. This miraculous icon was painted in the twelfth century, by order of the Holy Grand Prince of Vladimir, Andrew Yuryevich Bogolyubsky. In 1157, when the pious prince was leaving Vyshgorod to return to his homeland, the land of Suzdal, he took with him the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God that had been in the Convent of Maidens, upon the advice of his boyars. During his journey from Vyshgorod to Rostov, he did not cease to perform prayers before the icon of the Mother of God. When they were approaching the city of Vladimir, at one place near the Klyazma River the horses harnessed to the sleigh in which the holy icon was being carried stopped. They changed horses several times, but none of them could move the sleigh. The Grand Prince then ordered the tents to be pitched and then, together with those accompanying him, he prayed for a long time before the icon of the Mother of God. The Mother of God then appeared to him with a charter in her hand and commanded him to remain forever in Vladimir, and on that place (ten miles from the city) to build a monastery and a church in the name of the Nativity of the Mother of God. The pious and God-fearing prince did not hesitate to fulfill the command of the Queen of Heaven and erected a monastery on the site of Her appearance, calling it Bogolyubov. At the same time, to glorify this miraculous event, he ordered icon painters to depict the radiant face of the Mother of God in the form in which She appeared to him. The newly painted icon was called Bogolyubsky ("the God-lover") and was to be celebrated annually on June 18. Local residents soon began to venerate it as miraculous. 

An Equation to Determine the Duration of the Apostles' Fast

The Lent of Summer or of the Holy Apostles, is in the month of June during the harvest, but it does not have a specific and fixed duration.

It depends on when Easter is.

In the days of old, before the internet and before churches handed out calendars, when pious people wanted to figure out how long the Apostles' Fast would be in a particular year, which was important because it usually fell during the June harvest season, they figured out in a practical way when it would be and how long it would last. They did this by remembering the following saying:

"As many days as there are left in April and three in May." 

("Όσες μέρες περισσεύουν του Απρίλη και τρεις του Μάη.")

Homily Three for the Sunday of All Saints (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Three for the Sunday of All Saints 
 
By St. John of Kronstadt

"Be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16).

Today is the Sunday of All Saints, that is, the Sunday dedicated to the remembrance and glorification of all the Holy Saints of God, and especially the Holy Martyrs for the faith of Christ, their ardent love for God and neighbor, their every patience, self-denial, abstinence, obedience to the faith, unwavering devotion to the Lord and the Holy Church, their strength and humility, simplicity and gentleness, their holiness and perfection. Here they were people like us, but by faith, love and zeal for God, patience and forcing themselves to every virtue, repentance and withdrawal from every sin and lawlessness, they pleased God and attained eternal peace and blessedness; and we are invited to follow them, praying day and night to God for the salvation of us all. 

They seem to speak to us from heaven: "Behold, we have labored, by the grace of God, temporarily for God and our souls, and now we rejoice forever; we did not spare our much-suffering, corruptible flesh, we wore it out with fasting, labors, unceasing prayers, or we were oppressed and tormented in every way by unrighteous persecutors; now we are crowned with crowns of incorruption from the life-giving right hand of Christ God; we have hated the all-pervasive and all-destructive sin and have clung with all our hearts to God and His holy commandments, and by this we have become forever blessed." 

June: Day 17: Holy Martyrs Manuel, Sabel and Ishmael

June: Day 17:
Holy Martyrs Manuel, Sabel and Ishmael
 
(An Example of Life Given To Us By the Holy Martyrs: Firmness in Faith and Love)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyrs Manuel, Sabel, and Ishmael, celebrated today, were Persians, brothers, children of noble parents, raised in the Orthodox faith by a Christian mother. They were once sent to the Emperor Julian to negotiate peace. At first received favorably, they were persecuted when Julian learned that they were Christians. When, during a pagan celebration at which Julian was present, they stood at a distance, praying for the enlightenment of the pagans and refused to take part in sacrifices to idols, Julian ordered that they be tortured. Iron nails were driven into their heads, sharp needles were stuck into the nails of their hands and feet. The Martyrs endured all this with unwavering patience, drawing strength from prayer. Finally, they were executed. When the order was given to burn their bodies, suddenly an earthquake occurred and hid them underground... But two days later, through the prayers of Christians, their relics appeared on the surface of the earth and were buried with reverence.

Homily One for the First Sunday After Pentecost, the Sunday of All Saints (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily One for the First Sunday After Pentecost, the Sunday of All Saints 

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1960)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

On this day, at the conclusion of all the great feasts – the Bright Resurrection of Christ, His glorious Ascension into Heaven and the sending of the Holy Spirit from the Father upon the Apostles, the Holy Church solemnly commemorates all the saints who have pleased God from the beginning of time and have been glorified by God, who are already celebrating in Heaven the great victory of the Conqueror of death and hades, our Savior. This is the blessed fruit of the suffering, death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. These are the gracious fruits of the coming of the All-Holy Spirit of God and His presence in the Church of Christ. These are the first-born of humanity redeemed by the Blood of Christ and renewed by the grace of the Spirit of God, brought to God the Father by Jesus Christ.

Homily Two for the Sunday of All Saints (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Two for the Sunday of All Saints 
 
By St. John of Kronstadt

The current Sunday is called the Sunday of All Saints. In celebrating in honor of all Saints, we remember all those who have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, namely: the forefathers and patriarchs, prophets and apostles, martyrs and hierarchs, hieromartyrs and venerable martyrs, the venerable and the righteous, holy fools for Christ, as well as all holy women and other nameless Saints, with all of whom we honor the Most Holy One, surpassing all Angelic orders, our Lady Theotokos, Ever-Virgin Mary.

Celebrating All Saints soon after the feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Church intends to demonstrate to us the glory and grace of the Holy Spirit – God, who sanctifies, enlightens, fortifies, and glorifies all saints of the human race, in both the Old and New Testaments; in particular, she intends to showcase the fruits brought forth through the Apostles by the coming of the Holy Spirit – how He sanctified beings akin to us, bestowed wisdom upon them, elevated them to the rank of Angels, and led them to God: some crowned for the feats of martyrdom, others for their virtuous lives. The All-Holy Spirit accomplishes that which transcends the laws of nature.

Homily Two on All Saints Day (Righteous Alexei Mechev)

Homily Two on All Saints Day*

By Righteous Alexei Mechev

(Delivered on May 17, 1915)

The Sunday after Pentecost, my beloved, is dedicated to the memory of all the Saints. The Holy Fathers established this feast on the first Sunday after the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, with the intention of showing the faithful the fruits that the Holy Spirit produced on earth; to teach us how He raised people like us to the angelic rank and made us heirs of blessedness.

The holy people are our first, best friends and intercessors for us before God. They, like us, had neither a special body nor a special soul, they were of the same nature as us. But with the assistance of the grace of the Holy Spirit they attained blessed eternal life, which we too can attain if we desire it and strive for it ourselves. Living in heaven, enjoying indescribable blessedness, they do not forget us. Whereas it is not so among us, sinners, here on earth. It happens with us thus: the most sincere friends leave and forget their friends when they are in happiness, glory and honor, and they - in their former miserable and unenviable lot. Separated from us by that light and blessedness which our mind cannot understand and language cannot express, they can never forget us and help us in everything. Heaven and earth have more than once witnessed their good deeds to the human race. More than once, through the prayers of the saints, the sky, heated by the rays of the sun, was covered with dark clouds and poured heavy rain on the earth, petrified by the prolonged heat.

June: Day 16: Saint Tychon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Amathus

June: Day 16:
Saint Tychon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Amathus
 
(Lessons From His Life: 
a. How Should Children Be Raised? 
b. One Should Possess a Childlike Simplicity of Faith)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Tychon of Amathus, whose memory we celebrate today, was a miracle worker even in his childhood. His father sold grain, and the holy youth helped his father in the trade, but instead of selling it for money, he gave the grain away to the poor for free. When his father learned of this, he was very sad, because the grain trade was the only means of subsistence for his family, and he became angry with his son. But the holy youth, who knew the Holy Scriptures well, said to his father: "Calm down, father, I have not squandered your property, but lent it to God, and I have a true receipt in His Holy Scriptures, which says: he who has mercy on the poor lends to God." The youth, in the simplicity of his soul, believed the words of the Holy Scriptures so much that he invited his father to see if the wheat in his granary was exhausted, and what happened? That part of the granary which had been empty before was now full of the best wheat.

Homily One on All Saints Day (Righteous Alexei Mechev)

Homily One on All Saints Day*

By Righteous Alexei Mechev

(Delivered on June 1, 1914)

The Sunday after Trinity Day is called by the Church the Sunday of All Saints, and it is called so because on this Sunday the Holy Church has decreed to celebrate the memory of all Saints.

Every day is dedicated by the Holy Church in memory and honor of a certain Saint of God, but it was necessary to designate one day for all Saints as if to gather them all for veneration on one day, to demonstrate that they all acted with one power; the power of Jesus Christ, our Savior, directed everything, albeit through different paths, but towards one goal – the Same One Lord. It could not be otherwise, for they all looked to, that is, took as an example the One who is the Author of their labors – that same Jesus Christ, and thus they were crowned by Him with a single crown of Glory, each according to their worthiness, constituting the One Holy Church of Heaven in the celestial realm; this Church, in turn, unites with the earthly Church, along with all believers on earth.

June: Day 15: Teaching 2: Holy Prophet Amos

 

June: Day 15: Teaching 2:
Holy Prophet Amos

(About the Holy Prophets)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Church now remembers the Holy Prophet Amos. Before his call to prophetic service, Amos tended flocks of sheep, as he himself testifies in the book he wrote. He began to prophesy during the reign of Hosea, the King of Judah, and Jeroboam II of Israel. The Israelites at that time had almost forgotten the true God and began to worship idols. Amos often came to the place of pagan gatherings in Bethel and admonished the people, threatening them with the wrath of God. The Book of the Prophet Amos, written in an artless style and rich in comparisons from the life of a shepherd, consists of nine chapters. In the first two chapters, the Prophet predicts various disasters for the neighboring predatory tribes for their cruel actions towards the Israelites. In the last seven chapters he addresses the people of Israel, accuses the rich of luxury and oppression of the poor, rebels against the injustice of judges, deceptions of all kinds and the impenitence of the Jews in all the misfortunes sent by God. He predicts the destruction of Bethel with its altar, the dispersion of Israel among the nations and finally the conversion of all nations to the true God.

June: Day 15: Teaching 1: Saint Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow

June: Day 15: Teaching 1:
Saint Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow

(Lessons From His Life: 
a. One Must Serve God, 
b. Help the Unfortunate, and 
c. Love One’s Country)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow, whose memory the Holy Church celebrates on this day, from his youth loved solitude and the labors of monastic life. At the age of 12 he entered one of the monasteries in his native land, the Kostroma region, and then continued his monastic exploits in the Moscow Simonov Monastery. Once Metropolitan Photius, visiting the Simonov Monastery and going around the churches and monastery services, found Jonah sleeping in the bakery with a meek, majestic appearance and, noticing that the fingers of his right hand were folded, as if for blessing, he said to those around him that this young monk would one day be the first saint of the Russian land. Indeed, God's determination about the high service of Jonah gradually came to fruition in its time. By the election of the council of hierarchs, confirmed by the Grand Prince, Saint Jonah was elevated to the rank of Bishop of Ryazan and Murom, then in 1448 he was appointed to the see of the Metropolitanate of All Russia.

The Mystery of Pentecost (Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

The Mystery of Pentecost 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Christ, after His Ascension into heaven, according to His testimony, sent, on the fiftieth day from His Resurrection and the tenth from His Ascension, the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father.

Christ Himself had foretold to the Disciples the mission of the Holy Spirit: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that he may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). And immediately after that He said: “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and remind you of all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). And then He said: “It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).

The coming of the Holy Spirit to the Disciples took place on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13). Pentecost held an important place in the lives of the Apostles. Since they had previously undergone purification of heart and illumination – something that also existed in the Old Testament, in the Prophets and Righteous – then they saw the Risen Christ and on the day of Pentecost they became members of the risen Body of Christ. This has a special significance, because each Apostle had to have the Risen Christ within him.

June: Day 14: Holy Prophet Elisha

June: Day 14:
Holy Prophet Elisha
 
(The Reasons Why Elders Should Be Respected)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. One day the Prophet Elisha, whose feast day is celebrated today, entered the city of Bethel, whose inhabitants were drowning in wickedness. Their wickedness had reached such a point that fathers did not teach their children piety. A crowd of children met the venerable elder and began to laugh at his external shortcomings, and at the fact that he had no hair on his head. The children shouted after him: "Go away, bald one!" The Prophet Elisha looked at them with sadness and saw that there was nothing good in their hearts; he condemned their deed, and God confirmed the judgment of His Prophet. Two she-bears came out of the forest and tore the children to pieces. Forty-two of them perished.

The Depiction of the "Kosmos" in the Pentecost Icon

According to iconographer Photios Kontoglou:

"Below the bench on which they (the apostles) are seated, the figure of an old man is portrayed, with a crown on his head and with a defined, round beard, who is holding out a sheet with both his hands; on this sheet are twelve scrolls, which are rolled-up papers. This old man represents the Kosmos (World), and the paper scrolls represent the twelve regions that were ordained for the spreading of the gospel throughout the World by the twelve Apostles. In older icons of Pentecost, in place of the Kosmos (the old man) we find depictions of assorted people of different nations dressed in unusual garments, all looking upwards as if listening in amazement to the apostlic message, and above them is the inscription: PEOPLE, RACES AND LANGUAGES. These figures represent the people of various nations, who happened to be in Jerusalem on the day of the Pentecost at the moment of the descent of the Holy Spirit, and who, on learning of the tumult that was caused by the visitation of the Holy Spirit, crowded into the building that housed the apostles and then stood in amazement, when each one heard - in his own language - the sermon that came forth from the mouths of Christ's disciples, exactly as reported in the Acts of the Apostles."

June: Day 13: Holy Martyr Aquilina of Byblos

June: Day 13:
Holy Martyr Aquilina of Byblos
 
(Lessons From Her Life: Love of Prayer and Patience Are the Great Virtues of a Christian)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The soul of the twelve-year-old Holy Martyr Aquilina, whose memory is celebrated today, matured early for the highest spiritual feat, prepared for the feat by the Christian upbringing she received from her parents (who lived in the 3rd century in the Phoenician city of Byblos or Vivlos). Worthy fruit was borne by the Christian teachings with which God-loving people hastened first of all to nourish the soul of their child from the earliest age. And it is good for them that they did not neglect this holy work, did not postpone it until unknown future days. They died, but their ten-year-old orphan had already managed to receive into her soul the faith of Christ, the pledge of immortal life, the pledge and union with her parents in the eternal Kingdom of God.

Thus, at the age of ten, Aquilina was left an orphan. Although she lived in a city where there were already many Christians at the end of the third century, many of her friends were children of pagans. Aquilina, who remembered her mother’s instructions well, was attentive and zealous in fulfilling them; “she especially loved to pray to God,” love for Whom her mother knew how to instill in her heart with the first awakening of consciousness. One can imagine how astonished the young Christian was when she learned that her friends did not know the true God, that they were being instilled with the worship of idols. She tried to convince them of the falsity of such worship; she constantly spoke to them about the God Whom she herself had been taught to worship, and about the Christian teaching in which her parents had raised her.

June: Day 12: Venerable Onouphrios the Great

 

June: Day 12:
Venerable Onouphrios the Great
 
(On the Existence of Guardian Angels)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Onouphrios, whose memory is celebrated today, was one of the great ascetics and models of strict monastic desert life. At first he labored in one of the Thebaid monasteries (in the 4th century). Then, for 60 years, he labored in complete solitude and silence in the desert. Only one day before his death did a man see him: it was Venerable Paphnutios, brought here by inspiration from God to hear the story of the extraordinary life of the angelic ascetic and to bury his toiling body.

The Venerable Paphnutios, who had undertaken a journey with the purpose of seeing the life of ascetics in the inner remote desert, and who had already been struck by the meeting with many of them living a truly supernatural life, finally met the Venerable Onouphrios. He was an old man with such long hair on his head and beard that they covered him to his feet, replacing clothing. The hermit received the stranger affably and entered into conversation with him, and told him the following about himself: 

The Nurses of Saint Luke the Surgeon

The surgical instruments of St. Luke

Anna Bezrukova recalls:

"I was a nurse from 1942-45 in Krasnoyarsk. Saint Luke loved us and taught us everything. He would advise doctors in the city hospitals.

They brought us seriously ill people, I saw that he prayed before the operation. If there was a fatal outcome, he suffered a lot, cried, locked himself in his room and prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased.

The authorities did not even allow him to eat in the hospital canteen, he was almost always hungry. The nurses brought him food. 

He never got indignant. He lived next to the hospital to be closer to the patients. He lived modestly, observed the fasts.

June: Day 11: Teaching 2: Holy Apostle Bartholomew

June: Day 11: Teaching 2:
Holy Apostle Bartholomew

(On Flattery)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Apostle Bartholomew, whose memory is celebrated today, is called Nathanael in the Gospel, and was distinguished by his straightforward and open character. He said what he felt. Jesus Christ Himself testified to this. It was so. As soon as Jesus Christ began His preaching, disciples began to flock to Him. Two brothers, Andrew and Peter, appeared, and then Philip followed Christ. Philip met Nathanael and said to him: “We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus, the son of Joseph, of Nazareth.” It is necessary to know that Nazareth and in general the whole region of Galilee were despised by the Jews because there were many pagans there. Nathanael had the same idea about Nazareth, and he said to Philip: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” He said what he felt. “Come and see,” Philip said to him. They went to Jesus Christ. Christ saw him from afar and, pointing to him, said: "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." "How do you know me?" asked Nathanael. "Before Philip called you, I saw you when you were under the fig tree," said the Lord. Something special probably happened to Nathanael under the fig tree. He was amazed at this omniscience of the Lord and exclaimed: "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel." What a rapid transition from doubt to faith, and with what firm conviction this faith is expressed! The Savior approved of him for this and promised him great blessings. "Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe. You will see more than this: from now on you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man." From that time on, Nathanael became a persistent disciple of Jesus Christ, and after Christ's ascension to heaven, an incessant and zealous preacher of His teaching, and then a martyr. This is what Nathanael was honored with for his straightforward and open character, and for his sincere faith!

June: Day 11: Teaching 1: Holy Apostle Barnabas

June: Day 11: Teaching 1:
Holy Apostle Barnabas

(On Friendship)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Apostle Barnabas, whose memory is celebrated today, is one of the Seventy Apostles of Christ. Saint Barnabas was sent by his parents to Jerusalem to the then famous teacher Gamaliel, and was educated by him together with the Holy Apostle Paul, then known as Saul. The young men: Joseph (as Barnabas was formerly called) and Saul, the best disciples of the first teacher of the law in his time, gifted with rich abilities, both zealously seeking enlightenment, studying together, could not help but unite with each other in close friendship. But after leaving school, God was pleased to lead them on different paths. Saul remained a zealot of the paternal traditions for a long time (Galatians 1:13, 14). On the contrary, Joseph had come to know the Lord much earlier and believed in Him. They say that the friendship of the two disciples continued even after leaving school. Saint Barnabas often saw Saul in Jerusalem and tried in every way to persuade him to turn to the gospel. When the Lord miraculously converted Saul, Barnabas brought him to the Apostles and presented him as a zealous preacher of the gospel.

Homily Five for the Feast of Pentecost (St. John of Kronstadt)

 

Homily Five for the Feast of Pentecost 

By St. John of Kronstadt

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1–4).

Holy Trinity, grant me a word for Your day! May my word, a mortal man's, be worthy - as far as possible - of Your holiness, goodness and truth, Your wisdom, Your mercy and generosity to the fallen human race, Your unapproachable light, Your beauty! This is how I begin my word on the great day of Pentecost, or the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles of Christ and on all believers, namely, with the greatest possible praise to the Trinity.

June: Day 10: Holy Hieromartyr Timothy, Bishop of Prousis

June: Day 10:
Holy Hieromartyr Timothy, Bishop of Prousis
 
(The Blessing of God)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Hieromartyr Timothy, commemorated today, was Bishop of Prousis (in Bithynia), where he actively spread Christianity; for this he was persecuted and, after torture in prison, beheaded with the sword in the year 362.

One incident from the life of Bishop Timothy serves as evidence that even in church things used in the name of God, “the grace of the Lord is at work.” One day, Timothy was carrying “blessed bread” to a noble woman named Vasilisa, as an offering from the brethren. On the way between Prousis and Thermae (warm waters), he saw a terrible serpent; then, placing the consecrated bread in the hem of his garment and removing the cover from them, he covered the serpent with it. Returning from Vasilisa, to whom he had given the holy bread, Timothy found the serpent dead.

"Heavenly King, Comforter..." (Monday of the Holy Spirit)

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

"Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, You are everywhere present and fill all things. Treasury of blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell within in us and cleanse us from every stain and save our souls, O Good One."

The sticheron of the apostichon of Vespers and the doxastikon of the praises of Pentecost, but also of the feast of the Holy Spirit, in plagal of the second tone, constitutes, after the “Our Father”, the most well-known prayer of the Orthodox Christian and of the Church. In fact, every service begins with this prayer, just as the Orthodox Christian begins every prayer with it. It is addressed to the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit, Who proceeds from the source of the Godhead, the Father, just as Jesus Christ, the Son and Word of God, is begotten of Him, which means that we certainly do not have three Gods, which constitutes a condemned heresy by our Church, but another way of existing of the One according to the nature and essence of God.

Discourse on the Holy Spirit (Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Mani)

Discourse on the Holy Spirit
 
By Metropolitan Chrysostomos III of Mani

In God there are three persons or hypostases, distinguished from each other - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Holy Trinity has their own hypostatic characteristic, namely: the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten and the Holy Spirit is proceeding. And the three persons "in the one divinity" coexist, exist and surround each other. As Saint Damascene says, we have one divinity "in three perfect hypostases distinctly united and inseparably divided." This is the most sacred mystery of the Holy Trinity.

In particular, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, is called, Holy Spirit, Spirit of God, Light and life, Living Source, Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Paraclete (Comforter). It is that Person, the Holy Spirit, who directs the Church and deifies man by grace. It is the Paraclete, who helps man wounded by sin, supports him in his spiritual recovery and contributes to his salvation.

Homily Four for the Feast of Pentecost (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Four for the Feast of Pentecost 

By St. John of Kronstadt

(Delivered in 1905)

“Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving and undivided Trinity, always, now and ever and unto the ages of ages” (Exclamation at the beginning of the all-night vigil)

Dear brothers and sisters, we celebrate the great Christian feast of Pentecost, i.e. the fiftieth day after Pascha, or the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, and the tenth after His Ascension into heaven. What a great and saving event for the Church took place on this day? The glorious, life-giving descent of the Holy Spirit, the third Divine Person of the Holy Trinity, on the Apostles and all the faithful disciples of Christ who were in the Upper Room on Zion. Before that, the Holy Spirit had not been present in the world, for Jesus Christ was not glorified, as the Holy Scripture says, i.e. until He suffered and died for the sins of the world. For only by the merits of Christ and by His intercession did God the Father send His Holy and life-giving Spirit into the sinful and perishing world. This descent of the Holy all-renewing and all-containing Spirit of God was accompanied by miraculous all-renewing actions on the disciples who had gathered and were awaiting Him in unanimous ardent prayer. Listen to the sacred story of this glorious event by the writer and evangelist Luke.

June: Day 9: Teaching 2: Venerable Cyril of White Lake

June: Day 9: Teaching 2:
Venerable Cyril of White Lake

(On the Means of Achieving Christian Peace Among People)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. There was in the Monastery of the Venerable Cyril of White Lake, commemorated today, a monk named Theodotus, who, without knowing why, began to hate his abbot, and in this hatred he became so embittered that he could not only look at him with indifference, but also hated hearing his voice. No matter how much the other monks admonished him, no matter how much they proved that Venerable Cyril was worthy of all their love and even reverence, Theodotus could not or would not be healed of his illness. Finally, unable to bear the abbot, he decided to leave the monastery and went to Venerable Cyril to tell him about it. Venerable Cyril knew the reason for his departure, knew of his malice against him, and yet received him with fatherly love and affection. Theodotus was ashamed of the venerable gray hair of his superior and did not know what to say to him. Then the insightful Cyril, taking him by the hand, instead of any reproaches and censure, said: "Beloved brother in Christ! All were deceived and sinned, considering me a good man; you alone judged truly, having learned my sins and malice. But I trust in the mercy of my Lord, that He will help me to correct myself, and you forgive me my annoyances and insults and pray for me to Him Who does not want the death of a sinner." The monk, deeply struck by the humility of the elder, fell at his feet and with tears admitted that he hated him in vain, asking for forgiveness. From that time on, Theodotus found peace in his soul and began to love his mentor more than anyone else.

June: Day 9: Teaching 1: Saint Cyril of Alexandria

June: Day 9: Teaching 1:
Saint Cyril of Alexandria

(The Immeasurable Mercy of God Should Encourage Us Not To Carelessness, But To Repentance)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Cyril, who is commemorated today, was born in Alexandria in the second half of the 4th century to rich and noble parents. Under the guidance of his uncle, Archbishop Theophilos, he studied the Holy Scriptures, and studied secular sciences at the famous Alexandrian school of antiquity. Living in a rich and populous city, Cyril could not get used to the city noise, did not like entertainment and sought solitude. He chose the skete of Saint Makarios as the place of his desert life, where he spent five years in monastic exploits. Archbishop Theophilos called him from the desert to Alexandria and first enrolled him in the clergy, then ordained him a deacon. After the death of Theophilos, the question arose of whom to elect to the episcopal see. Both the people and the clergy pointed to Cyril, whose firm faith, knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and pious life sharply distinguished him from the number of others who wanted to occupy the Alexandrian throne, and Cyril was chosen.

June: Day 8: Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates

June: Day 8:
Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates
 
(On Obedience to Authorities)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today is the commemoration of the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates. Saint Theodore was a "stratelate" (military commander) in the city of Heraclea (on the Black Sea) and converted many pagans to Christ. Hearing that Theodore was converting many to Christ, Emperor Licinius, accompanied by dignitaries of his court and numerous soldiers, set off for Heraclea and ordered that gold and silver idols be carried with them.

That very night a miraculous phenomenon foreshadowed to Theodore that the time of his contest was near. During prayer a heavenly light suddenly shone upon him and he heard a voice saying to him: "Be bold, Theodore, I am with you!" Theodore understood that he would soon have to suffer for the name of Christ, and his heart was filled with joy.

Homily Three for the Feast of Pentecost (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Three for the Feast of Pentecost 

By St. John of Kronstadt

"We hymn the Trinity of one essence, the Father and the Son, with the Holy Spirit: for so did all the Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs preach."

We celebrate one of the greatest events in the world and in the Christian Church, an event that is both miraculous and also salvific and joyful for the entire Christian world; namely, we celebrate the descent upon the Apostles of the Holy Spirit of God, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, sent down from God the Father by the Son of God Jesus Christ, who ascended to heaven. 

He (Christ) said to His disciples before His suffering: "I go to Him that sent Me... But because I have told you this, your hearts are filled with sorrow. But I tell you the truth, It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you" (John 16:5–7). The Almighty and Life-giving Spirit of God, co-essential and co-enthroned with the Father and the Son, solemnly and truly descended upon the Disciples of the Lord, and in their persons upon the Christian Church, for the assimilation by men of the great work of redemption accomplished by the Son of God, for the rebirth by the fire of the Holy Spirit of the Apostles and all who were with them, for the communication to them of the gift of invincible courage and strength, and the gift of speaking in all languages, the gift of Divine love, all-embracing and inseparable, such love as the Lord Jesus Christ had for men, who laid down His life for men. The Holy Spirit filled the Apostles with the gift of wisdom, the power to regenerate men from the old creation into the new through faith in Jesus Christ and by means of preaching and the mysteries – baptism, chrismation, the sacred rite of the Body and Blood of Christ. He gave them and their successors, the bishops, the power and wisdom to bind and loose the sins of men, to clarify the faith and the teaching of the faith, to write divinely-wise Gospels and Epistles, to convene Synods for clarifying the God-revealed teaching and exposing heresies and schisms, to establish rules of faith and conduct, to consecrate churches and ordain people to sacred offices, and in general to improve the newly founded Church of Christ. The Holy Spirit revealed Himself in the world in wondrous Divine actions in all the greatness of His Divinity, as the Creator and Maker of human nature, as the Self-existent Life and Source of life for all rational creatures, as the Source of wisdom and power.

Homily on the Day of Pentecost (Righteous Alexei Mechev)

Homily on the Day of Pentecost*

By Righteous Alexei Mechev

(Delivered on May 26, 1914)

On the day of Holy Pentecost, we will discuss the invaluable and salvific actions of the Holy Spirit for us, Christians. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles is a moment of utmost significance. It marks the beginning of the powerful surge through which the entire ancient, decrepit pagan world fell, collapsed, making way for the religion of light, the truth of truths.

Indeed, all that once held undisputed dominion over the world: this all-encompassing philosophy, this exalted and celebrated polytheism – all of this proud pagan creation has collapsed under the touch of the humble preachers of the Christian faith, which, in the eyes of pagan sages, was a pathetic delusion and madness (1 Cor. 1:18). Such is, dear friends, the power of the Holy Spirit; its fruits are beautifully expressed in the well-known prayer to the Holy Spirit: 'Heavenly King.' In it, the Holy Spirit is referred to as "the Comforter, the Giver of Life, the Treasury of Good Things."