Prologue in Sermons: September 14

 

The Four-Pointed Cross Is Not the Roman Cross and the Seal of the Antichrist

ADMONITION TO PARISHIONERS LIVING AMONG SCHISMATICS

September 14

(The Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev 

The Greek Emperor Constantine, when he was still a pagan, once went to war against the Emperor Maxentius. On the way to Rome, Constantine was struck by an unusual phenomenon. In the middle of the day, he and those with him saw a cross in the sky made up of stars, at the top of which were the words: "BY THIS CONQUER." Constantine and his soldiers were afraid, because for pagans at that time, seeing a cross was considered a misfortune. But that same night, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Constantine, ordered crosses to be made on all weapons and said that he would defeat Maxentius. Constantine made crosses and defeated Maxentius. 

The Good Disposition of Saint Cornelius the Centurion

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

The life of Saint Cornelius is admirable, who belongs to those people who, one might say, are chosen by the Lord from the womb. It is no coincidence that the hymnographer of our Church characterizes him as “the bright dawn of the sun,” “a great river watering the entire face of the earth,” “a shining star,” and does not hesitate to consider him an equal of the Holy Apostles, because he received the same Holy Spirit as they did. “For you were seen as equal in status to the Holy Disciples, having been chosen by the Holy Spirit, like them.” The unique, among other things, element of Saint Cornelius, which the hymnographer repeatedly emphasizes, is that he “became the beginning of nations,” that is, he was the first to convert from the pagans and be baptized and receive the grace of the Holy Spirit like the mouthpieces of God Holy Apostles.

September: Day 13: Teaching 2: Feast of the Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

September: Day 13: Teaching 2: 
Feast of the Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
 
(The Meaning of the Feast)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. This feast is seemingly insignificant, judging by the fact that in a series of other ecclesiastical feasts it is not distinguished by any solemnity. But meanwhile, in its inner significance it can stand on a par with the most important feasts.

II. a) Indeed, what do we celebrate on this day? The renewal of a temple, no more; but what temple? The temple in the name of the Resurrection of Christ. And the Resurrection of Christ is the foundation of Christianity. "If Christ has not risen, our faith is vain." But the resurrection of Christ is the pledge of our resurrection, the pledge of eternal life and eternal blessedness. Christ rose from the dead, became the firstfruits of those who died. Without the Resurrection of Christ we have no hope of eternal life, and without the hope of eternal life, what is man? An absurd and most unfortunate creature. Indeed, the last worm has its own definite purpose in the chain of creation and its share of happiness, because, no matter how insignificant and weak it is, it finds full satisfaction of its small needs and fully enjoys its life until the beak of a bird or the foot of a man puts an end to it. But what is man with his higher spiritual needs, which find no satisfaction here on earth, with his ideals, which find no fulfillment, with his passions, which he abhors, which torment him, and which he either satisfies with curses, or fights against, not knowing why, only according to an incomprehensible and irresistible demand of his spirit, fights until exhaustion of strength without any hope of winning a decisive victory, fights until he falls in this fruitless struggle, broken and tormented? What is man, eternally striving for heaven and continually falling into the mud, wandering in the darkness of doubts and riddles, eternally dissatisfied, an unhappy martyr, if not of his own passions, then of the vanity of other people? What is he without hope of eternity? An absurd and unhappy product of the senseless play of the blind forces of nature. If Christ did not rise, then not only can we say with the Apostle, as Christians, that we are the most wretched of all men, but we can also add, as human beings in general, that we are the most wretched of all creatures. Therefore, the Resurrection is not only the foundation of Christianity, but also the foundation of humanity. Such is the dogmatic meaning of this feast.

Prologue in Sermons: September 13

The Renewal of Man-Made Temples Should Remind Us of the Renewal of the Temple of our Soul

September 13

(Commemoration of the Renewal of the Church of the Resurrection of our Holy Christ and God)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev 

Today the Holy Church commemorates the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, founded by the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and his mother Helen in Jerusalem, on the spot where our Savior suffered and died. This is what Church tradition tells us about this event.

It is known that after the Ascension of the Lord into heaven, the place where our salvation took place was often desecrated by people who hated Christ. One of these, namely the Roman Emperor Hadrian, ordered the Holy Sepulcher to be filled with earth and stones; on Golgotha he built an idol temple; over the Tomb of Jesus Christ he placed an idol; where the Temple of Solomon was, he also erected a temple, and thus tried in every way to destroy the memory of the Savior especially in the place where the atoning Sacrifice was brought, and through this to destroy the Christian faith. But the Providence of God did not allow this. For the spread of the faith of Christ and for the purification and renewal of the holy places, He raised up the pious emperors Constantine and Helena and put it into their hearts to cleanse all the holy places from demonic filth, to renew the holy city of Jerusalem and to build a majestic temple on the site of the Savior's suffering. The mother of Constantine, Saint Helen, having arrived in Jerusalem, destroyed all the pagan temples, uncovered the Cross and the Holy Sepulcher, and, on the site of their discovery, founded a temple in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. Since the temple was enormous and its construction took a long time, Saint Helen did not live to see its completion. Her son, the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, lived to see its completion. When the temple was completed, Constantine commanded bishops from all the countries of his vast empire, as well as from the countries adjacent to Jerusalem, to gather in Jerusalem and consecrate the newly built temple. And the temple was consecrated, with a great gathering of people, on the 13th day of the month of September. The holy fathers who were present at its consecration unanimously decided to annually commemorate the event of the consecration in churches everywhere, in the same way that Solomon in the Old Testament legalized the celebration of the day of the consecration of the first Temple of Jerusalem, which he built during his lifetime.

Homily One on the Nativity of the Theotokos (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily One on the Nativity of the Theotokos 

By St. John of Kronstadt

(Delivered in 1902)

“We magnify you, Most Holy Virgin, we honor your holy parents, and we glorify your most glorious nativity” (Magnification).
 
 Nineteen hundred years ago, humanity was elated and exalted by the birth from the righteous yet barren parents, Joachim and Anna, of a wondrous infant – the Virgin, who was destined before the creation of the world to be a marvelous Mother in the flesh of God the Word Himself, the Creator and Savior of the world – the God of spirits and of all flesh. The sorrow of the barren parents, descendants of King David the prophet, who longed for a blessed progeny and suffered reproach from neighbors who had the blessing of offspring, was exceedingly great; yet, within them was a strong faith in the God of Israel – a steadfast hope in His mercy, fervent prayer, unwavering devotion to the God of their forefathers, and an unshakeable expectation of the promise made long ago by God to Israel – the Messiah, the Deliverer of mankind. And their sorrow was soon turned into joy; faith and hope were not put to shame; the complete devotion of Joachim and Anna to God was rewarded with an extraordinary and glorious fruit – the pure Maiden Mary. Even before her birth, the righteous parents made a vow to God to dedicate and consecrate to Him the Child that He would give them; and upon her birth, they immediately fulfilled their vow and brought her to the Temple of God – to be raised for the Lord.