Location Where the Archangel Gabriel Announced to the Theotokos Her Dormition Three Days Prior

The Temple is called "My Soul Magnifies the Lord," or the Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, and is dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos. It is located in what is called Small Galilee on the Mount of Olives. The feast day is celebrated on August 12th.

The very place where this church stands was said to be the place of prayer of the Most Holy Theotokos in the years she lived after the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Lord. And three days before her Dormition and Metastasis the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her here to announce her repose in three days and she was given a palm branch as a sign of her imminent repose.

At present the place belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In 1880 Patriarch Hierotheos of Jerusalem purchased the land of Small Galilee from Muslim owners, and it quickly became a monastic community. The current church of "My Soul Magnifies the Lord", a small cubical chapel crowned with a dome, was built on the foundation of a Byzantine church of the 4th-5th centuries by Archbishop Epiphanios of Jordan and consecrated in 1889.

August: Day 12: Holy Martyrs Photios and Aniketos

 

August: Day 12:
Holy Martyrs Photios and Aniketos
 
(On the Saving Nature of the Thought of God's Omnipotence)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyrs Photios and Aniketos, celebrated today in church hymns and readings, together with many other Christians, suffered under the Emperor Diocletian in the 4th century in Nicomedia. Diocletian ordered that instruments of execution be placed in the city square in order to frighten Christians. But at that time Aniketos, a nobleman, came to the emperor and boldly confessed himself a Christian, calling the pagan idols creatures, reproaching the idolaters and saying: “O emperor, the executions and tortures you have prepared for Christians do not frighten us. We do not regard them as anything.” The enraged emperor ordered that Aniketos be tortured and then cast forth to be devoured by wild beasts. But the terrible lion released upon him became so meek that it fawned on him. Saint Aniketos thanked God and asked for the strength to overcome the tormentor. His prayer was heard. At that time there was suddenly a strong earthquake, so that the temple of the idol of Hercules and part of the city wall fell, and many pagans perished from this. Then the emperor gave orders to cut off the head of the Saint with a sword, but as soon as the executioner raised his sword, he himself fell unconscious. They began to break Saint Aniketos on the wheel and at the same time burn his body with fire, but the wheel stopped and the fire went out. They threw the Martyr into a cauldron of boiling tin, but the tin cooled, and the Martyr remained unharmed. Then one of Aniketos' relatives, Photios, seeing how the Lord was protecting His servant, approached Aniketos and greeted him; then, turning to the emperor, he said: "Idolater, your gods are nothing!" The emperor gave orders to cut off Photios' head, but when the executioner raised his sword to strike him, the sword struck the executioner himself to death. Finally, Diocletian ordered a large furnace to be made in order to burn all the Christians with their wives and children. The Christians, without waiting for the torturers to throw them into the furnace, went into it themselves, saying: "We are Christians!" The first to enter were Saints Aniketos and Photios, and after them came a multitude of Christians, and they all died with prayer on their lips. The bodies of Saints Aniketos and Photios were found to be completely unharmed.

Holy Hieromartyr Alexander, Bishop of Comana

Saint Alexander, Bishop of Comana,* lived in the 3rd century near Neocaesarea. He studied the Holy Scriptures and knew many sciences. Having taken upon himself the feat of foolishness for Christ, the Saint lived in poverty, selling coal in the city square. Many, seeing his face always black from coal dust, treated him with contempt. 

When the Bishop of Comana died, some proposed choosing a new primate from the nobility, others - a scholar or eloquent man, others - a rich man. Then Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea (November 17), invited to consecrate the chosen one, pointed out that a bishop should have not only external dignity and distinctions, but above all, a pure heart and a holy life. These words caused some to smirk: "If you do not look at the external appearance and nobility of origin, then even Alexander the coal-burner** can be made a bishop." Saint Gregory thought that it was not without God's providence that this man was mentioned, and asked to summon him. 

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: The Most Holy Virgin – Our Unashamed Hope (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: 
The Most Holy Virgin – Our Unashamed Hope

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1961, the Thirteenth Week After Pentecost)

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

"Unashamed protection of Christians, unwavering mediator to the Maker, do not disregard the prayerful cries of sinners, but hasten, as one who is good, to our aid, as we faithfully call upon you: Be speedy to intercede, and be quick to entreat, the ever-protectress, Theotokos, of those who honor you."

So we often sing with special tenderness in honor and praise of the Most Holy Virgin Theotokos, casting before Her all our unworthy prayers and referring to Her all timely help from above alone.

Homily One on the Ninth Sunday After Penteost (Righteous Alexei Mechev)

Homily One on the Ninth Sunday After Penteost*

God Will Never Leave You Without His Help

By Righteous Alexei Mechev

Today the Gospel reading tells us about the miraculous walking of the Savior on the waters, about how the Lord calmed the storm and saved the Apostle Peter from drowning, when he, having asked the Lord for permission, walked on the sea, but, doubting God’s protection, began to drown, crying out: “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:28–30).

Our life is the same sea of life, stirred up by the storm of misfortunes. Just as the sea is agitated by frequent storms and there are bad weather conditions on it, so it is in a person’s life. We cannot know what will happen to us in the shortest time. Not only death creeps up like a thief. Almost all misfortunes creep up like this. Our life is subject to many kinds of attacks from evil spirits and the people they lead. It is impossible to foresee and warn what evil will come up with, what will serve as a pretext and means for misfortune, where temptation will arise. But let us not be ashamed when temptations overtake us, let us not grumble at God, whose providential eye does not sleep over us. As the Holy Apostle Peter in a difficult and life-threatening moment cried out to the Lord: "Lord, save me, I am perishing," so we, friends, in all sorrowful, difficult and dangerous circumstances of our life must trust in God alone, turn to Him and ask Him for help. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble,” says the Lord through the Holy Prophet David, “and I will deliver you and you will glorify Me” (Psalm 49:15). No matter how hard the temptation, no matter how difficult and dangerous the circumstances, a person must not forget that he is not alone: the Lord is always with him, quick to help.