April 24

1. THE HOLY MARTYR SABBAS STRATELATES [THE GENERAL]

This glorious Sabbas lived in Rome during the reign of Emperor Aurelian and held the rank of general. By ancestry, he was of a Gothic tribe. He often visited Christians in prison and assisted them from his own estate. Because of his great purity and fasting, God gave him authority over unclean spirits. When Sabbas was accused of being a Christian, he courageously stood before the emperor, threw down his military belt, and openly confessed Christ the Lord. Sabbas was tortured in various ways: he was flogged, scrapped with iron claws, and burned with candles. He did not succumb to these deadly tortures but appeared alive and healthy. His military companions, seeing that God was obviously helping him, embraced the Christian Faith, and seventy of them were immediately beheaded by order of the emperor. Christ the Lord Himself appeared in a great light to St. Sabbas in prison and encouraged His martyr. After that, Sabbas was condemned to death by drowning. He was thrown into a deep river, where he gave up his soul to God in the year 272 A.D. His soul went to the Lord, to Whom he had remained faithful through many tortures.

2. THE VENERABLE ELIZABETH

In her early youth Elizabeth entered the monastic state in the Monastery of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Constantinople, taking upon herself heavy ascetic labors for the sake of Christ God and for the sake of her soul. She considered herself a bride of Christ and viewed this world as though it did not exist. Her great compassion toward people, especially toward the sick and the suffering, emanated from her great love for God. With the gift that God had bestowed upon her, she cured various diseases and afflictions of the people. During her nightly prayers she was seen to be encompassed by a heavenly light. Following her death, her relics possessed the power of healing, and a great number of the sick and suffering have gathered at her grave throughout the ages. She died peacefully and entered into the eternal joy of her Lord in the year 540 A.D.

3. THE HOLY MARTYRS EUSEBIUS, NEON, LEONTIUS AND LONGINUS

These four were military companions of St. George. Witnessing the courageous endurance and miracles of St. George, these wonderful soldiers became Christians, for which they were beheaded.

4. THE HOLY MARTYRS PASICRATES AND VALENTINE

When the judge urged Pasicrates to offer sacrifice to the idols, (as he had likewise urged the martyr's brother, Papianus, who fell away from Christ because of the fear of torture), Pasicrates placed his hand in the fire and cried out: "The body is mortal and is consumed by fire, but the soul is immortal and does not feel the visible sufferings!" His mother sustained him and encouraged him to endure to the end. He was beheaded with Valentine and both took up habitation in the Kingdom of Christ in about the year 228 A.D.

5. THE VENERABLE THOMAS, FOOL-FOR-CHRIST

Whenever he was in the city of Antioch on business for the monastery, Thomas always feigned insanity for the sake of Christ. A certain Anastasius did not want to give Thomas the alms that he sought for the monastery but struck him with his fist. Thomas then prophesied: "From now on, neither will I receive anything from Anastasius, nor will Anastasius be able to give me anything." After one day Anastasius died, and Thomas, prior to his return to the monastery, also died. Thus, the prophecy of this holy man was fulfilled. St. Thomas reposed in Daphni, near Antioch, in the time of Patriarch Domnus (546 - 560 A.D.).

6. THE HOLY NEW MARTYRS LUKE AND NICHOLAS

This wonderful young man Luke, a tailor by trade, suffered martyrdom for Christ in 1564 A.D. Nicholas suffered martyrdom in the year 1776 A.D.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT THOMAS THE FOOL-FOR-CHRIST [DISCERNER]

St. Thomas pretends to be deranged

For the sake of Christ his Savior,

But in his heart he glorifies God,

The only One, the Creator of the world.

God's name is in his heart:

"Have mercy upon me, O good God!"

He nourishes his soul by this:

"Have mercy upon me, O good God!"

Holy Thomas is not concerned

What the world will say about him.

"Let the world rant, let it threaten;

God will pronounce true judgment.

Whosoever pleases the world

Will be found to be false before God."

And Thomas smiles

At the world which pretends to be important.

"O you shadow above the water,

Why do you pretend to be so important?

All reality is in the Lord

When you consider yourself as nothing,

Then will you glorify Him."


REFLECTION

In exhorting Christians to attend church for prayer, St. John Chrysostom says: "If someone delivers to subjugated citizens a royal decree, the citizens do not question the life of the messenger, as to whether he is rich or poor or righteous or sinful, but all listen attentively to that which he is reading. If someone has not heard, he asks one who has heard. When you have such great awe of earthly rulers, how much more should you heed us (priests) here, where the Creator of the heavenly powers speaks through us sinners?" Indeed, what is Holy Scripture but a document [Grammata, Letter] of the Heavenly King? Why is it that this unique and saving document does not interest us every day and every hour, when the least authority in the country and his trivial orders do interest us? St. Anthony said: "Let everything you do have its justification in Holy Scripture." But how can you have justification in Holy Scripture if you are not familiar with Holy Scripture?

CONTEMPLATION

Contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:

1. How His Resurrection drives away from us all confusion, gloom and sadness;

2. How His Resurrection instills serenity, courage and goodwill into the souls of men.

HOMILY

on the vanity of everything in comparison with Christ

"I ... count them but refuse, that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:8).

The Apostle who wrote this had worldly knowledge; he had wealth and friends; he had youth and health; he had all the requisites of worldly success among his people. But he says, "I left all." For the sake of Christ Jesus the Lord, he left all. Before the sages of this world, he became as a fool; before the rich, he became as a beggar; before his friends, he became as an enemy. He exhausted his youth and health by voluntary sufferings and afflictions. With one stroke he closed for himself all prospects for worldly success. Why did you do this, O Holy Apostle Paul? Because, I ... count them but rubbish, that I may win Christ.

Brethren, did the Apostle Paul deceive himself, leaving everything as rubbish, and did he gain something greater in gaining Christ? Twenty centuries have testified that the holy Apostle did not deceive himself and that, in gaining Christ, he received something incomparably greater and better than that which he had abandoned and sacrificed. He received wisdom above all worldly knowledge; and riches imperishable and incorruptible; and friends in the form of the true angels of God; and eternal youth without disease and aging; and divine success that lasts without change in eternal life. All of this he gained in gaining Christ. All of this he received in leaving all that the world offers to its favorites.

Indeed, brethren, Christ is better than the world. There are no words that could express His superiority over the world. The world deceives its favorites, but Christ rewards His true favorites. The world gives little and takes all. The world offers decay and takes away life. Christ, however, seeks little and gives all. He seeks that we discard decay, and He gives us eternal life. Brethren, Christ is our one and only true friend.

O resurrected Lord Christ, help us to renounce triviality, to renounce decay, and grant us eternal life.

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.

Twitter