اعمال رسولان ۹.۲۰-۳۱ (رساله)

۲۰او بی‌درنگ در کنیسه‌ها به اعلام این پیام آغاز کرد که عیسی پسر خداست. ۲۱هر که پیام او را می‌شنید در شگفت می‌شد و می‌گفت: «مگر این همان نیست که در اورشلیم در میان آنان که این نام را می‌خوانند آشوب به پا می‌کرد و به اینجا نیز آمده تا در بندشان نهد و نزد سران کاهنان بَرَد؟» ۲۲ولی سولُس هر روز قویتر می‌شد و با دلایل انکارناپذیر یهودیان دمشق را به زانو درآورده، ثابت می‌کرد که عیسی، همان مسیح است. ۲۳پس از گذشت روزهای بسیار، یهودیان توطئۀ قتل او را چیدند. ۲۴امّا سولُس از قصدشان آگاه شد. آنها شب و روز بر دروازه‌های شهر مراقبت می‌کردند تا او را بکشند. ۲۵ولی شاگردانش شبانه او را در زنبیلی نهاده، از شکافی در دیوار شهر پایین فرستادند. ۲۶چون سولُس به اورشلیم رسید، خواست به شاگردان ملحق شود، امّا همه از او می‌ترسیدند، زیرا باور نمی‌کردند براستی شاگرد شده باشد. ۲۷امّا برنابا او را برگرفت و نزد رسولان آورده، گفت که چگونه در راه دمشق خداوند را دیده و خداوند چه‌سان با وی سخن گفته و او چگونه در دمشق دلیرانه به نام عیسی موعظه کرده است. ۲۸پس سولُس نزد ایشان ماند و آزادانه در اورشلیم آمد و رفت می‌کرد و با شهامت به نام خداوند موعظه می‌نمود. ۲۹او با یهودیانِ یونانی‌زبان گفتگو و مباحثه می‌کرد، ولی آنها در صدد کشتنش برآمدند. ۳۰چون برادران از این امر آگاه شدند، او را به قیصریه بردند و از آنجا روانۀ تارسوس کردند. ۳۱بدین‌گونه کلیسا در سرتاسر یهودیه و جلیل و سامِرِه آرامش یافته، استوار می‌شد و در ترس خداوند به سر می‌برد و به تشویق روح‌القدس بر شمار آن افزوده می‌گشت.

یوحنا ۱۵.۱۷-۱۶.۲ (انجیل)

۱۷حکم من به شما این است که یکدیگر را محبت کنید. ۱۸«اگر دنیا از شما نفرت دارد، به یاد داشته باشید که پیش از شما از من نفرت داشته است. ۱۹اگر به دنیا تعلّق داشتید، دنیا شما را چون کسان خود دوست می‌داشت. امّا چون به دنیا تعلّق ندارید، بلکه من شما را از دنیا برگزیده‌ام، دنیا از شما نفرت دارد. ۲۰کلامی را که به شما گفتم، به یاد داشته باشید: ”بنده از ارباب خود بزرگتر نیست.“ اگر مرا آزار رسانیدند، با شما نیز چنین خواهند کرد؛ و اگر کلام مرا نگاه داشتند، کلام شما را نیز نگاه خواهند داشت. ۲۱امّا این همه را به سبب نام من با شما خواهند کرد، زیرا فرستندۀ مرا نمی‌شناسند. ۲۲اگر نیامده و با ایشان سخن نگفته بودم، گناه نمی‌داشتند؛ امّا اکنون دیگر عذری برای گناهشان ندارند. ۲۳کسی که از من نفرت داشته باشد، از پدر من نیز نفرت دارد. ۲۴اگر در میان آنان کارهایی نکرده بودم که جز من هیچ‌کس نکرده است، گناه نمی‌داشتند؛ امّا اکنون، با اینکه آن کارها را دیده‌اند، هم از من و هم از پدرم نفرت دارند. ۲۵این‌گونه، کلامی که در تورات خودشان آمده است به حقیقت می‌پیوندد که: ”بی‌سبب از من نفرت داشتند.“ ۲۶«امّا چون آن مدافع که از نزد پدر برای شما می‌فرستم بیاید، یعنی روحِ راستی که از پدر صادر می‌شود، او خودْ دربارۀ من شهادت خواهد داد، ۲۷و شما نیز شهادت خواهید داد، زیرا از آغاز با من بوده‌اید. ۱«این چیزها را به شما گفتم تا نلغزید. ۲شما را از کنیسه‌ها اخراج خواهند کرد و حتی زمانی می‌رسد که هر که شما را بکشد، می‌پندارد که خدا را خدمت کرده است.

ایوب بردبار

This icon of patient endurance in the face of all that God sends us lived near Arabia about 2,000 years before Christ. He was a descendant of Abraham through Esau. His prosperity, his calamitous sufferings, his patient endurance, and his restoration to health and riches are told in detail in the Old Testament book that bears his name.

Some say that Job endured his sufferings for seven years before being restored to health and prosperity. Others say that all his sufferings occupied one year. The holy Fathers agree that Job for lived many years after his restoration, and died when he was more than 200 years old.

قدیس ایوب, رئیس دیر و معجزه‌گر پوچایف (۱۶۵۱)

“Saint Job of Pochaev was born about 1551 in southwest Galicia of a pious Orthodox family. In his tenth year the Saint departed for the Ugornitsky Monastery of our Savior in the Carpathian Mountains. Tonsured after two years, he was ordained hieromonk about 1580. Renowned for his meekness and humility, Job was invited by the great zealot for Holy Orthodoxy in Carpatho-Russia, Prince Constantine Ostrozhky, to be Abbot of the Monastery of the Cross in Dubno. In his zeal for the preservation and propagation of the Orthodox Faith, and to counteract the propaganda of the Uniates, he printed and widely disseminated Orthodox spiritual and liturgical books. About 1600 he removed to the Mountain of Pochaev where at the insistence of the brethren, he became Abbot of the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos, which he enlarged and made to flourish. Through his labours, a large printing works was founded at Pochaev and greatly assisted in the nurture of the Orthodox faithful in that region. His monastery became the center of the Orthodox Church in western Ukraine. The Saint reposed, having taken the schema with the name of John, in 1651, at the advanced age of one hundred.” (Great Horologion)

شهید مقدس بارباروس سرباز, با باخوس, کالیماخوس و دیونیسیوس (۳۶۲)

He was a soldier in the Roman army during the reign of Julian the Apostate. Like many soldiers, he was a secret Christian, serving under the Imperial commander Bacchus when his troops battled the Franks. A mighty Frankish soldier, like Goliath, challenged the Romans to send one of their company out to do single combat with him. The commander sent Barbarus, who prayed to the Lord and overcame the Frankish giant, after which the Frankish army was easily vanquished. The commander then ordered a triumph in celebration of victory, including a public sacrifice to the Roman idols. At the sacrifice, the commander noticed that Barbarus was standing aside and asked him why: Barbarus revealed that he was a Christian and could not make sacrifice to the idols. The commander reported this to the unbelieving Emperor, who ordered that Barbarus be put to torture. Barbarus endured many cruel torments with serenity and courage. During his tortures, many wonders were seen, and many of his fellow-soldiers embraced the Christian faith. Three of these were Bacchus, Barbarus’ commander; Callimachus; and Dionysius. All three were beheaded for confessing Christ, then Barbarus himself attained the Martyr’s crown through beheading.

قدیس سوفیا عادل (۱۹۷۴)

This holy ascetic, newly glorified in 2011, was born as Sophia Saoulidi in 1883 in Trebizond, Turkey. In 1907 she married, but her husband disappeared seven years later, leaving her with a newborn son. Not long afterward her beloved only son also died. Turning from the world, she placed all her trust in God, spending her time in solitary prayer on a mountain near her town.

In 1919 she arrived in Greece as part of the “exchange of populations” between Turkey and Greece. Not long after her arrival the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to her in a vision and said “Come to my house.” When Sophia asked her where to find her house, the Virgin replied “I am in Kleisoura.” Heeding these holy instructions, Sophia moved to the Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Kleisoura in northern Greece, where she remained for the rest of her life.

She never took monastic tonsure, but lived in the monastery kitchen. She slept only two hours a night, giving over the rest of the night to prayer. She dressed in old, tattered clothes, but if anyone tried to give her better clothing she would give it away to the poor. Similarly, if anyone gave her money, she would hide it until she could give it to someone in need. She ate very little and showed no interest in food. Worldly people called her “Crazy Sophia,” but those with discernment saw her as a living saint. She was endowed with gifts of healing and prophecy: when visitors would come to her she would greet them by name even if she had never met them before, and would describe their family problems, offering counsel.

In 1967 she was healed of a painful, life-threatening illness through a vision of the Holy Theotokos, the Archangel Gabriel and St. George. She fell asleep in the Lord on May 6 (New Calendar) 1974, after a long life given over to prayer, asceticism and utter poverty. Her relics are enshrined in the monastery where she spent most of her life.