April 5

1. THE HOLY MARTYRS AGATHOPODES AND THEODULUS

Agathopodes was a deacon and Theodulus was a reader in the church at Thessalonica. Agathopodes was adorned with the gray hairs of age and Theodulus with youthful chastity. At the time of Diocletian's pursuit of Christians these two were summoned to court. They responded with rejoicing, and, holding each other's hand, they walked along crying out: "We are Christians!" All the advice of the judges that they deny Christ and worship idols was in vain. After extended imprisonment and starvation, they were sentenced to death by drowning in the sea. Their hands were bound behind their backs, a heavy stone was hung around their necks, and they were led out to be drowned. When they prepared to hurl Agathopodes into the deep, he cried out: "Behold, by this second baptism we are washed of all our sins, and in purity do we depart to Christ Jesus." Shortly afterward, the sea cast their drowned bodies upon the shore, and Christians buried their bodies with honor. St. Theodulus appeared to his acquaintances as a bright angel in radiant attire and ordered them to distribute all of his remaining estate to the poor. These glorious and wonderful soldiers of Christ suffered honorably during the reigns of Diocletian and the Thessalonian Prince Faustinus, in the year 303 A.D.

2. THE VENERABLE MARK OF TRACHE

He is also called "Mark the Athenian" because Athens was the place of his birth. His parents died after he completed his higher education in Athens. He thought within himself that death was unavoidable for him as well, and that one should sufficiently prepare beforehand for an honorable departure from this world. Distributing all of his possessions to the poor, he sat on a plank in the sea and, with firm faith in God's help, prayed that God might direct him wherever He willed. God, in His providence, protected him and brought him to Lybia (or Ethiopia) to a mountain called Trache. Mark lived an ascetic life on this mountain for ninety-five years, seeing neither man nor beast. For thirty years, he waged a violent combat with evil spirits and suffered from hunger, thirst, frost and heat. He ate earth and drank sea water. After thirty years of the most vehement suffering, the defeated demons fled from him and a angel of God began to bring him food daily in the form of bread, fish and fruit. St. Serapion visited him before his death and, afterward, made known the miraculous life of Mark. Mark asked St. Serapion: "Are there any Christians in the world now who, if they were to say to this mountain, 'Arise from here and cast yourself into the sea,' it would it be so?" At that moment, the mountain upon which they stood moved toward the sea. Mark raised his hand and stopped it. Such was the miracle-working power that this man of God possessed. Before his death he prayed for the salvation of mankind and then gave up his soul to God. St. Serapion saw angels bear St. Mark's soul heavenward, and he also saw a hand extended from heaven that received it. St. Mark lived to be 130 thirty years old and reposed in about the year 400 A.D.

HYMN OF PRAISE

THE PRAYER OF SAINT MARK OF TRACHE

Behold, the final hour tolls for me on earth.

I go where the Lord shines instead of the sun.

I emerge from my dusty, fleshly garment,

And am traveling toward Thy countenance, O Christ.

Just one more wish do I stretch forth over the earth.

Before Your Throne with prayer I come:

I desire salvation for all mankind,

Freedom from sin for everyone and for all.

I desire that the virtuous fasters be saved,

And all diligent laborers in Thy field.

I desire that those who are prisoners for Thy sake,

Who sacrifice themselves for the sake of Thy love, be saved;

And cruel sinners that commit violence,

And those who endure violence for Thy sake.

Salvation to the lavras, plentiful with monks;

Salvation to the faithful, the tearful and the poor;

Salvation to the churches, throughout the world;

To the shepherds of the Church, to all and to me,

To all the servants of God and all the handmaidens,

Whom the world knows or who hide in loneliness.

Salvation to the baptized and adopted,

Enlivened with the Life-giving Spirit of God.

Salvation to the humble and the merciful,

To faithful emperors and faithful princes,

To every heart of man, the healthy and the infirm.

And salvation to my brother Serapion.

O Powerful Lord, this is my desire

And my final prayer. Let it be Thy will!


REFLECTION

"Live as though you were not of this world and you will have peace." Thus spoke St. Anthony to his disciples. An amazing lesson but truthful. We bring about greater misfortunes and uneasiness upon ourselves when we desire to associate and identify ourselves with this world as much as possible. The more a person retreats from this world, the more often he contemplates this world as existing without him, and the deeper he immerses himself in reflecting upon his unworthiness in this world, the closer he will stand to God and the deeper will be the spiritual peace he will have. I die daily, says St. Paul (1 Corinthians 15:31), that is, every day I feel that I am not in this world. That is why he daily felt like a heavenly citizen in the spirit. When the torturer Faustinus asked St. Theodulus, "Is not life better than a violent death?" St. Theodulus replied, "Indeed, even I think that life is better than death. Because of this, I decided to abhor this mortal and temporal life on earth, that I may be a partaker of life eternal."

CONTEMPLATION

Contemplate the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus:

1. How the earth quaked at His return to the body, as it had at His separation from the body;

2. How the angels descended into the tomb to serve Him, as they had always served Him when He allowed them to do so.

HOMILY

on the fulfillment of the prophecy

"Because Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor wilt Thou suffer Thy faithful one to undergo corruption" (Psalm 16:10).

These are the words of the inspired seer of mysteries--glowing, prophetic words. David speaks these words about Christ the Lord, about His soul and about His body, i.e., about that which is human in Him. That these words of David pertain to the resurrected Christ was witnessed by the Apostle Peter in his first sermon immediately after the descent of the Holy Spirit: Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption (Acts 2:27). For, the apostle says, the patriarch David ...  is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day (Acts 2:29). It is not possible that those words refer to David, although David speaks as though they are from him and refer to him; but rather those words refer to a descendant of David according to the flesh. The body of David is decomposed, as are the bodies of his other descendants. Christ, therefore, is David's descendant in the flesh Who did not remain in hades and Whose body did not see corruption. He [David] seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:31). Truly, a glowing prophecy! Truly, a wondrous foresight! Before the Resurrection of the Lord, these words must have sounded unintelligible and irrational for all the Jewish interpreters of the Psalms! When the seal on the tomb is removed, then the seal of the many totally obscure and unclear prophecies is also removed. Christ resurrects and the mysteries become known. The seal of the tomb is removed not only from His body but also from the countless words and visions of the prophets. Christ resurrects and the prophetic words are also resurrected. Descending into hades, the Lord brought the heavenly light to the souls of the righteous fathers and prophets. By His Resurrection, He brought their words and visions to the light of understanding and truth. Christ resurrects and all that is good, righteous and truthful, before and after the Resurrection morning, is also resurrected.

O resurrected Lord, place us among the resurrected citizens of Thine Eternal Kingdom.

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.

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