February: Day 4: Venerable Isidore of Pelusium

February: Day 4:
Venerable Isidore of Pelusium
 
(On the Deeds of Spiritual Mercy)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Among the great ascetics who chose the desert life for the love of Christ, the Church honors the Venerable Isidore of Pelusium, whose memory is celebrated today. He left many letters and writings, full of wisdom and edifying instructions. Venerable Isidore lived in the fifth century. He was born in Egypt, of rich parents, received a good education, and in his youth left the world, desiring solitude. He took monastic vows, then settled in a desert place, near the city of Pelusium, in lower Egypt, from which he received the nickname "of Pelusium". Here he lived in strict abstinence, wore coarse clothing, and ate only roots; he prayed incessantly and raised his thoughts to God. The rumor of his strict and pious life attracted other ascetics to him, and he was chosen as abbot of the monastery. Constantly concerned about the spiritual benefit of the brothers, he guided them with wise instructions, taught them by word and example humility, meekness, mercy, non-acquisitiveness, the struggle against passions and worldly thoughts.

On the Reception of the Lord (Timothy the Presbyter of Jerusalem)

On the Prophet Symeon and the Section of the Gospel "Now Let Your Servant Depart In Peace" and on Holy Mary the Theotokos

(Excerpt from Migne P. G. 86, 2004)

By Timothy the Presbyter of Jerusalem*

Since we shall not have enough time to mention the virtues of all the saints, let’s get to know the last of the righteous in this homily of ours. Who was the last of the righteous? The name of Symeon is to be found in the Gospel according to Luke. He’s considered to be the first and the last: the last of the representatives of the Jewish Law and the first of those of the Law of divine grace. He was a Jew as regards religion, but a Christian as regards his gratitude towards God; a lawyer as regards his reading of the Law, but  an angel as regards his understanding of it.

Symeon, who from Pharisaic blasphemy sprouted like a rose from among thorns, is the first person we know about who acquired the favor of God’s grace. Symeon, who had progressed so far in righteousness that he personally received a divine prophecy which stated that he would not leave this transient life before he had embraced with his own human hands eternal life, that is our Lord Jesus Christ. The righteous Symeon, therefore, desired to see the Lord before His incarnation, but he saw Him after and realized who He was.

February: Day 3: Teaching 1: Saint Symeon the God-Receiver and the Prophetess Anna

 

February: Day 3: Teaching 1:
Saint Symeon the God-Receiver and the Prophetess Anna
 
(Why Was Righteous Symeon Not Afraid of Death?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Remembering the Reception of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple of Jerusalem, the Holy Church also blesses those persons who participated in this Gospel event of the first days of the earthly life of the God-child. When forty days had passed from the birth of the Savior, the Mother of God and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem to present Him before the Lord. Here they were met by the Righteous Symeon with the Prophetess Anna who openly announced to everyone about the coming of salvation through the birth of the only-begotten Son of God. According to the testimony of the Gospel, Symeon was a righteous and pious man, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. This holy elder reverently served God and faithfully fulfilled all duties to his neighbors. For his holy and God-pleasing life he was honored with special favor from God: he was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he saw the Lord's Christ. How many years Righteous Symeon waited for this joyful promise to be fulfilled, we do not know. But judging by his words, he had to wait a long time for the Consolation of Israel, so that he looked upon death as a joyful end to his difficult and long wandering on earth. Finally, one day, at the inspiration of the Spirit of God, he came to the Temple and received the Infant God together with the most blessed Mary and Righteous Joseph. Then Symeon, taking the Infant Jesus in his arms, glorifying God, exclaimed: "Now let Your servant depart in peace, Master, according to Your word." Present there was also the Prophetess Anna, a widow of about eighty-four years of age, who did not leave the Temple, serving God with fasting and prayer day and night. And she, together with Symeon, praised the Lord and spoke of the appearance of the Savior to all who were awaiting His coming in Jerusalem.

February: Day 2: Teaching 3: The Reception of the Lord

 

February: Day 2: Teaching 3:
The Reception of the Lord
 

(It Is Dangerous To Doubt Matters Of Faith)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. When King Ptolemy, the founder of the famous Alexandrian library, intended to translate the books of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek, then 72 wise men were chosen from among the Israelites who thoroughly knew the Hebrew and Greek languages.

Among these 72 wise Israelites was a certain Symeon, a righteous and pious man. Translating the book of the Prophet Isaiah and stopping at his famous prophecy: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb and bear a son" (Isaiah 7:14), he doubted this and, having thought a little, took a knife and wanted to scrape out this section, as if unworthy of credibility, and replace the word "virgin" with the word "married woman." But suddenly an angel appeared before him and, holding his hand, said: "Believe what is written; you will see with your own eyes the fulfillment of this incomprehensible prophecy." Symeon abandoned his intention, and from that time began to expect the fulfillment of the words of the Prophet Isaiah.

Homily on the Reception of the Lord (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

 

Homily on the Reception of the Lord

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

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

Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the glorious and joyful feast of the Reception of the Lord. This feast is so called because the Righteous Elder Symeon, who lived in Jerusalem, received the forty-day-old Infant Lord Jesus Christ with His Most Pure Mother in the Jerusalem Temple. This is how this sacred event is described by the Evangelist Luke:

"Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord'), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, 'A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.' And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Symeon, and this man was righteous and pious, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 'Now let Your servant depart in peace, Master, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.' And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Symeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, 'Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be gainsaid" (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.' Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him" (Luke 2:22–40).

Homily One for the Reception of the Lord (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily One for the Reception of the Lord

By St. John of Kronstadt

"Now let Your servant depart in peace, Master, according to Your word" (Luke 2:29).

The present feast of the Reception of the Lord is so called because the Righteous Elder Symeon, who lived in Jerusalem, received the forty-day-old Infant, the Lord Jesus Christ, with His most pure Mother in the Jerusalem Temple, took Him in his arms and said: "Now let Your servant depart in peace, Master, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29–32). This Elder was wondrous in his holiness, for the Holy Spirit always dwelt in him, in his enlightenment, and in his old age – he was three hundred and sixty years old. It can be said that, beyond the law of nature, the grace of God miraculously preserved him for so long.

February: Day 2: Teaching 2: The Reception of the Lord

February: Day 2: Teaching 2:
The Reception of the Lord
 
(Explanation of the Rite of Churching an Infant)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. What has now happened to our Lord and Savior in the Temple in Jerusalem, something similar, my brethren, was once done to each of us. And we, like Him, were brought into the temple, placed before the Lord, churched, and dedicated to Him for eternal service. All this was done to us at such an age when we, like infants, had no idea of ourselves, and therefore we did not know what was happening to us. But the Holy Church could neither occupy itself, nor occupy us with idle rites; what was done to us had an important meaning. Together with our being brought to the temple and churched, we received many rights and promises; just as at the same time important and sacred duties were imposed on us.

February: Day 2: Teaching 1: The Reception of the Lord

February: Day 2: Teaching 1:
The Reception of the Lord
 
(On Decent Behavior in the Temple)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. In the Old Testament Temple of Jerusalem, prayers and sacrifices were performed according to the precise instructions of the ritual law. Therefore, the elder Joseph and Mary the Mother of God, having come there and brought the infant Jesus, on the fortieth day after His birth, did everything there as was prescribed in the law of the Lord.

Instead of the Jewish temple, we have Christian temples; instead of the ritual law of the Old Testament, we have our own ecclesiastical law, liturgical law.

We, children of the Orthodox Church, are obliged to coordinate all our actions in the Church with this ecclesiastical law.

February: Day 1: Holy Martyr Tryphon

February: Day 1: Holy Martyr Tryphon
 
(On the Means of Fighting the Devil)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyr Tryphon, whose memory is celebrated today, at a young age, by the power of God’s grace, healed illnesses and cast out demons.

The Roman Emperor Gordian, from whose daughter Saint Tryphon had cast out a demon, wished to see the exorcised demon in some sensible form. The Holy Martyr Tryphon, yielding to his command, actually summoned the demon, and everyone saw him in the form of a black dog with fiery eyes.

Saint Tryphon asked the demon: “Who sent you to the maiden?” The demon answered: “The father, the head of all evil, who sits in hell.” Sait Tryphon asked again: “Who gave you such power?” The demon answered: “We have no power over those who know God and believe in the only begotten Son of God; only by God’s permission do we inflict light temptations on them. But we have complete power over those who do not believe in God, who walk in their lusts and do what pleases us. The deeds that please us are: idolatry, blasphemy, fornication, envy, murder, love of money, pride and other vices. These people are entangled in sins as in nets; they are our friends, and the same fate awaits them with us.”