Homily Two on All Saints Day*
By Righteous Alexei Mechev
(Delivered on May 17, 1915)
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.
At one time, for example, in Armenian Melitene there was a severe drought, which inevitably threatened famine, and the lamentations of the inhabitants increased day by day. Finally, everyone resorted to their Bishop, the Venerable Akakios,** so that he would implore God to show them His mercy. The Saint, having gathered the people, went to the suburban Church of the Holy Great Martyr Eustathios.***
Here, having chosen the best location near the church, he ordered the Divine Throne to be brought and set up; and in the open field, without shelter, he began to perform the Bloodless Sacrifice. Trusting in the power and mercy of God, Akakios did not dilute the wine with water, but prayed fervently that the Lord from above would dilute [the wine in] the Holy Chalice and together would water the parched earth.
This prayer was so powerful with God that immediately a heavy rain came and dissolved the wine into water, the earthly element into the element of water, and the heart of the people into joy (School of Piety).****
Always having such zealous intercessors for us before the Throne of the Most High, let us, dear ones, imitate the lives of the saints and ask them for help in the matter of our salvation.
Pray to God for us, all Saints, for we fervently resort to you, quick helpers and intercessors for our souls. Amen.
Notes:
* Delivered on May 17, 1915, the First Sunday after Pentecost. Published for the first time from the “Typewritten copy” from the archive of E. V. Apushkina.
** Venerable Akakios, Bishop of Melitene († c. 437) – a zealous fighter against the Nestorian heresy, famous for his gift of miracles. Participant of the Third Ecumenical Synod, at which, together with Saint Cyril, he denounced Nestorius. Commemorated on April 17.
*** Holy Great Martyr Eustathios Plakidas († c. 118) – being of noble birth, occupied a high position in Rome. Once while hunting he saw a deer with a cross between its antlers. A voice commanded him to be baptized, which he did together with his entire family. Having been subjected to a cruel trial (on the way to Rome his wife, children and all his wealth were kidnapped), he endured it with submission to the will of God. For this he was rewarded: the Emperor Trajan returned him to Rome again, and his wife and children were also found. Under the Emperor Hadrian, for confessing Christ, he was condemned to a martyr's death together with his family: together with his wife Theopisti and children Agapios and Theopistos, he was thrown into a red-hot copper bull. Commemorated on September 20.
**** School of Piety. Vol. II. P. 135.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
