دوم قرنتیان ۸.۱۶-۹.۵ (رساله)

۱۶خدا را شکر می‌کنم که در دل تیتوس نیز نهاده است که همچون من خالصانه به فکر شما باشد. ۱۷زیرا او نه تنها تقاضای ما را پذیرفت، بلکه خود با اشتیاقِ بسیار، برای آمدن نزد شما پیشقدم شد. ۱۸و ما همراه او برادری را می‌فرستیم که همۀ کلیساها او را به‌خاطر خدمتش به انجیل می‌ستایند. ۱۹به‌علاوه، او از سوی کلیساها انتخاب شده تا در انجام این کار خیر که برای جلال خدا و نشان دادن خیرخواهیمان خدمت آن را بر عهده گرفته‌ایم، همسفر ما باشد. ۲۰ما بسیار مراقبیم که خدمت ما در گردآوری این هدیۀ سخاوتمندانه مورد انتقاد کسی قرار نگیرد. ۲۱زیرا می‌کوشیم نه تنها در نظر خداوند، بلکه در نظر مردم نیز آنچه شایسته است انجام دهیم. ۲۲همراه این افراد، برادر خود را نیز می‌فرستیم که بارها اشتیاقش از راههای گوناگون بر ما ثابت شده، و اکنون اشتیاق او به‌خاطر اطمینان بسیارش به شما حتی افزونتر نیز گردیده است. ۲۳دربارۀ تیتوس باید بگویم که در خدمت به شما شریک و همکار من است؛ و دربارۀ برادرانمان نیز باید بگویم که فرستادگان کلیساها و جلال مسیح‌اند. ۲۴پس محبت خود را در عمل به آنها ثابت کنید و نشان دهید که فخر ما به شما بی‌اساس نیست، تا همۀ کلیساها ببینند. ۱نیازی نیست دربارۀ این خدمتِ به مقدسین به شما بنویسم، ۲زیرا از اشتیاقتان به یاری رساندن آگاهم و در این خصوص نزد ایمانداران مقدونیه به شما بالیده‌ام. بدیشان گفته‌ام که شما در ایالت اَخائیه از سال گذشته برای دادنِ هدیه آماده بوده‌اید. این شور و حرارت شما بیشترِ آنان را نیز به عمل برانگیخته است. ۳امّا این برادران را می‌فرستم تا فخر ما به شما در این خصوص اشتباه از کار درنیاید، بلکه تا همان‌گونه که به ایشان گفته‌ام، آمادگی لازم را داشته باشید. ۴زیرا اگر کسی از ایماندارانِ مقدونیه همراهم بیاید و دریابد که آماده نیستید، ما - و چقدر بیشتر خودتان - از اطمینانی که به شما داشته‌ایم، سرافکنده خواهیم شد. ۵پس ضروری دانستم از برادران بخواهم که پیشاپیش به دیدارتان بیایند و تدارک هدیۀ سخاوتمندانه‌ای را که وعده داده بودید، به اتمام رسانند. آنگاه این هدیه، هدیه‌ای خواهد بود که نه با تنگ‌چشمی، بلکه با گشاده‌دستی داده شده است.

مرقس ۳.۱۳-۱۹ (انجیل)

۱۳عیسی به کوهی برآمد و آنانی را که خواست، به حضور خویش فرا خوانْد و آنها نزدش آمدند. ۱۴او دوازده تن را تعیین کرد و آنان را رسول خواند، تا همراه وی باشند و آنها را برای موعظه بفرستد، ۱۵و از این اقتدار برخوردار باشند که دیوها را بیرون برانند. ۱۶آن دوازده تن که تعیین کرد عبارت بودند از: شَمعون (که وی را پطرس خواند)؛ ۱۷یعقوب پسر زِبِدی و برادر وی یوحنا (که آنها را ’بوآنِرجِس‘، یعنی ’پسران رعد‘ لقب داد)؛ ۱۸آندریاس، فیلیپُس، بَرتولْما، مَتّی، توما، یعقوب پسر حَلْفای، تَدّای، شَمعون غیور، ۱۹و یهودا اَسخَریوطی که عیسی را تسلیم دشمن کرد.

شهید ماماس قیصریه در کاپادوکیه (۲۷۵), و او والدین, شهیدان تئودوتوس و روفینا

He began his life in the cruelest of circumstances: both of his parents were imprisoned for their faith in Christ. First his father, Theodotus, died in prison, then his mother, Rufina, died shortly after his birth, so the infant was left alone in prison beside the bodies of his parents. But an angel appeared to the widow Ammia, telling her to go to the prison and rescue the child. Ammia obtained the city governor’s permission to bury the parents and bring the child home. He was called Mamas because he was mute until the age of five and his first word was `Mama’. Despite his late beginning, he showed unusual intelligence and, having been brought up in piety, soon openly proclaimed his Christian faith. When he was only fifteen years old he was arrested and brought before the Emperor Aurelian. The Emperor, perhaps seeking to spare the boy, told him to deny Christ only with his lips, and the State would not concern itself with his heart. Mamas replied `I shall not deny my God and King Jesus Christ either in my heart or with my lips.’ He was sent to be tortured, but miraculously escaped and lived in the mountains near Caesarea. There he lived in solitude and prayer and befriended many wild beasts. In time, he was discovered by the persecutors and stabbed to death with a trident by a pagan priest.

قدیس یوحنا چهارم, پاتریارک قسطنطنیه, شناخته شده به عنوان یوحنا روزه‌دار (۵۹۵)

He was born and raised in Constantinople. When he came of age he worked as a goldsmith and an engraver at the mint; but, renouncing worldly things, he was ordained a deacon and given charge of the distribution of alms in Constantinople. He gave freely to all with no consideration of their worthiness. The Synaxarion says ‘the more he distributed the more God filled his purse, so that it seemed inexhaustible.’

Upon the death of Patriarch Eutyches in 582, John became Patriarch and reigned for thirteen years, reposing in peace in 595. (It was during his reign that the term “Ecumenical Patriarch” began to be used to refer to the Patriarch of Constantinople.) St John was known for his great asceticism and fasting, and as a powerful intercessor and wonderworker. So generous was he to the poor that he used up all his funds in almsgiving and had to ask the Emperor for a loan, which he used to give more alms. After his repose, his only possessions were found to be an old cassock, a linen shirt and a wooden spoon.

مقدس اِلعازار, پسر هارون و دوم عالی کشیش اسرائیل

He was the son of Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel, and he in turn became the second High Priest. He reposed in peace.

آرامش هیرومونک سرافیم (رز) پلاتینا (۱۹۸۲). (۲۰ اوت ت.ق)

This modern-day pioneer of Orthodoxy and monasticism in America has not been glorified as a Saint of the Church, though many individuals ask his prayers and icons of him have been painted.

Eugene Rose was born in 1934 in California, where he spent all his life. Following an intense spiritual search that took him through study of several Eastern Religions (he earned a graduate degree in Chinese Philosophy), he providentially encountered the Russian Orthodox community in San Francisco, and in 1962 was received into the Orthodox Church. The sanctity of Archbishop (now Saint) John Maximovich was especially important to his development in the Faith.

After a few more years living in the world, he and his friend Gleb Podmosensky founded a small monastic brotherhood in the wilderness of far northern California; in time they were tonsured as monks and ordained as priests: Fr Seraphim and Fr Herman. At a time when Orthodoxy was almost invisible in North America, the monastery became a beacon of Orthodoxy for Americans seeking an authentic Christian faith.

Fr Seraphim reposed in 1982 at the age of forty-eight. Many of his writings are still in print. A biography, Father Seraphim Rose: His life and works, by Hieromonk Damascene, is highly recommended.