دوم قرنتیان ۱۲.۲۰-۱۳.۲ (رساله)

۲۰زیرا بیم آن دارم که نزدتان بیایم و شما را آن‌گونه که انتظار دارم، نبینم، و شما نیز مرا چنانکه انتظار دارید، نبینید. بیم آن دارم که در میان شما جدال، حسد، خشم، خودخواهی، افترا، غیبت، غرور و بی‌نظمی ببینم. ۲۱و نیز بیم آن دارم که چون نزد شما آیم، خدا بار دیگر مرا در حضور شما فروتن سازد و من به‌خاطر برخی که در گذشته گناه کرده و از ناپاکی، بی‌عفتی و عیاشی خود توبه نکرده‌اند، اندوهگین شوم. ۱این سوّمین بار است که به دیدارتان می‌آیم. «به گواهیِ دو یا سه شاهد، هر سخنی ثابت خواهد شد.» ۲من در دیدار دوّم خود، کسانی را که در گذشته مرتکب گناه شده بودند، و نیز هر کس دیگر را هشدار دادم و اکنون نیز در غیاب خود باز هشدار می‌دهم که وقتی نزدتان بیایم، بر کسی آسان نخواهم گرفت.

مرقس ۴.۲۴-۳۴ (انجیل)

۲۴سپس ادامه داده، گفت: «به آنچه می‌شنوید، به‌دقّت دل بسپارید. با همان پیمانه که وزن کنید، برای شما وزن خواهد شد، و حتی بیشتر. ۲۵زیرا به آن که دارد، بیشتر داده خواهد شد و از آن که ندارد، همان که دارد نیز گرفته خواهد شد.» ۲۶نیز گفت: «پادشاهی خدا مردی را مانَد که بر زمین بذر می‌افشانَد. ۲۷شب و روز، چه او در خواب باشد چه بیدار، دانه سبز می‌شود و نمو می‌کند. چگونه؟ نمی‌داند. ۲۸زیرا زمین به خودی‌خود بار می‌دهد: نخست ساقه، سپس خوشۀ سبز و آنگاه خوشۀ پر از دانه. ۲۹چون دانه برسد، برزگر بی‌درنگ داس را به کار می‌گیرد، زیرا فصل درو فرا رسیده است.» ۳۰عیسی دیگر بار گفت: «پادشاهی خدا را به چه چیز مانند کنیم، یا با چه مَثَلی آن را شرح دهیم؟ ۳۱همچون دانۀ خردل است. خردل، کوچکترین دانه‌ای است که در زمین می‌کارند، ۳۲ولی چون کاشته شد، می‌روید و از همۀ گیاهان باغ بزرگتر شده، شاخه‌های بزرگ می‌آورد، چندان که پرندگان آسمان می‌آیند و در سایۀ آن آشیانه می‌سازند.» ۳۳عیسی با مَثَلهای بسیار از این‌گونه، تا آنجا که می‌توانستند درک کنند، کلام را برایشان بیان می‌کرد. ۳۴او جز با مَثَل چیزی به آنها نمی‌گفت؛ امّا هنگامی که با شاگردان خود در خلوت بود، همه چیز را برای آنها شرح می‌داد.

نبی زکریا

Much of his story is told in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel. The Synaxarion continues:

‘After the birth of Christ, Zacharias plainly declared the virginity of Mary and showed her truly to be the Mother of God; for he appointed her a place in that part of the Temple reserved for the virgins and so brought upon himself the hatred of the priests and levites.

‘When John was six months old, Zacharias hid him and his mother in a cave beyond the Jordan because King Herod, hearing of the birth in Bethlehem of the king of the Jews and fearing a rival of his own worldly power, sent soldiers to kill all the male children of Bethlehem. His enemies seized this opportunity to denounce Zacharias to Herod, who had him pursued and put to death within the precinct of the Temple, at the very place the Mother of God abode for a witnes to her virginity. As the Prophet’s blood flowed within the sanctuary, it signified the withdrawing of the divine Presence. Priests came to take up his body and they buried him with his fathers. From that moment signs and prodigies occurred in the Temple, indicating that the rites of the Law would soon be abolished. No longer would the priests behold the angels of God, or have the grace of prophecy; no longer would they be able to deliver oracles or enlighten the people upon the dark places of holy Scripture, as they had been wont to do.’

کشیش‌شهید مقدس آتاناسیوس برست-لیتوفسک (۱۶۴۹)

“Saint Athanasius was born in the province of Minsk in 1596, the same year as the false Union of Brest-Litovsk was concluded between Rome and some Russian bishops. His father was a Lithuanian nobleman of modest means, but Athanasius acquired a breadth and depth of learning that were exceptional at that time. Besides modern and ancient languages and the writings of the holy Fathers, he was familiar with the works of Western philosophers and theologians.

“In 1627, after spending several years as a private tutor, he became a monk at the Monastery of Khutyn near Orsha in Little Russia. This monastery was independent of the Polish occupying forces and, by tradition, deeply committed to the preservation of Orthodoxy, so that it was able to offer great encouragement to the Orthodox people in the face of Roman Catholic propaganda. Athanasius went on to follow his monastic path in other renowned monasteries, and was ordained priest. The Metropolitan of Kiev, Peter Moghila, gave him the task of restoring the Monastery of Kupyatitsk. In obedience to a divine revelation, Athanasius set out for Moscow, a long and dangerous journey through territory under Polish occupation, in order to ask for financial assistance for the restoration, and to acquaint the Tsar with the fate intended for the Orthodox Church in the lands to the south-west of Russia. He was successful in his quest and with the help of the Mother of God, the restoration works were begun. Two years later, Athanasius was appointed Abbot of the Monastery of St Symeon the Stylite in Brest-Litovsk. From then on, he was to be a resolute and tireless fighter against Roman proselytism, clothed in Orthodox rites and customs known as the Unia. For the next eight years, by prayer, preaching and through his writings, the Saint devoted all his strength to refuting the false Union, and to bringing back to the holy sheep-fold of Christ those who had strayed.

“The population of the occupied territories was brutally treated by the Polish soldiers and colonists, nor did the Jesuit missionaries, for their part, abstain from any measure that might serve to lead the peoples of Little Russia to accept their faith. In this situation, Saint Athanasius decided to petition the King of Poland, Vladislav IV, that the Orthodox be treated with more humanity. The King was moved by his request and issued a decree forbidding the abuses that had occurred, but his officials ignored it. The condition of the Orthodox in Warsaw was particularly bad. It was not unknown for the Poles and Uniates to set fire to Orthodox churches on feast days when they were full of the faithful, just as had happened in the time of the great Persecutions.

“Athanasius kept up the fight, aided and comforted by none but the Mother of God, and in 1643, following a new revelation, he again appealed for redress on behalf of the Orthodox to the Polish Council of State. He received a favourable hearing and the Orthodox were granted some legal protection. But certain Orthodox men of rank, fearing for their privileges, claimed that the Saint was mad and succeeded in having him deprived of his abbacy, deposed from the priesthood and sent to Kiev to answer before a church court.

“The humble Athanasius was completely exonerated and restored to his position, but he did not have peace for long, since persecution of the Orthodox soon began again. He drew up a petition intended for the King of Poland, but was arrested and thrown into prison before he was able to complete it. He was released after three years’ detention but, in 1648, a persecution broke out that was more terrible than ever before. So bloody was it that the people of Little Russia rose up and demanded the departure of the Polish-Lithuanian army and the restoration of Russian territory to the Tsar. The Polish authorities immediately arrested the rebel leaders and prominent Orthodox dignitaries. Saint Athanasius was imprisoned, and endured physical and mental torments of all kinds at the hands of his gaolers and of the Roman Catholic authorities, but he never ceased to cry, ‘Anathema to the Union!’ After being tortured with red-hot coals, he was flayed and burnt alive. As he was still not dead, his executioners shot him.

“They threw his decapitated corpse into a pit, where it was found some time later incorrupt. In the years that followed, the relics of the holy Martyr worked many miracles.” (Synaxarion)

شهیدان مقدس عبدا اسقف، هرمزد و سونین، از ایران (سدهٔ ۴)

قدیس عبدا در روزگار امپراتور تئودوسیوس دوم و یزدگرد یکم، شاه ایران، در ایران می‌زیست؛ او که اسقفِ مسیحیانِ آنجا بود، بی‌وقفه برای نگهداری گلهٔ خود و آوردن بت‌پرستان به سوی مسیح می‌کوشید. روزی، سرشار از غیرت، به پرستشگاهی که شاه در آن قربانی می‌کرد درآمد، آتشِ مقدس را واژگون کرد و پرستشگاه را به آتش کشید. شاهِ خشمگین پرستش خدای مسیحیان را ممنوع کرد، فرمان ویرانی همهٔ کلیساها و صومعه‌ها را داد و همهٔ روحانیان را بازداشت کرد. عبدا را نزد شاه آوردند و فرمان دادند پرستشگاه بت‌پرستان را از نو بسازد؛ چون سر باز زد، او را به سختی و دیرزمانی شکنجه کردند تا جان به خدا سپرد. این آغازِ دوره‌ای سی‌ساله از آزار هولناک مسیحیان در ایران بود.

قدیس هرمزد پسر یکی از فرمانداران ایرانی بود که در جوانی مسیحی شد. به همین سبب پدرش او را محکوم کرد که برهنه در بیابان شتربانی کند. چندی بعد شاه پیراهنی کتانی برای هرمزد فرستاد و وعده داد که اگر به دین ایرانیان بازگردد، او را دوباره بنوازد. قدیس پیراهن را درید و نزد شاه بازفرستاد، و به همین سبب اعدام شد.

قدیس سونین از بلندپایگانِ ایرانی بود که به مسیح روی آورد و تاج شهادت پاداش او شد.