فیلیپیان ۱.۱۲-۲۰ (رساله)

۱۲ای برادران، می‌خواهم بدانید که آنچه بر من گذشت، در عمل به پیشرفت انجیل انجامید، ۱۳به گونه‌ای که بر تمامی نگهبانان کاخ سلطنتی و بر همگان عیان شد که من به‌خاطر مسیح در زنجیرم؛ ۱۴و زنجیرهایم سبب شد که بیشترِ برادران، در خداوند قوی‌دل شوند تا با شهامتِ تمام، کلام خدا را بی‌واهمه بیان کنند. ۱۵امّا بعضی از حسد و حس رقابت مسیح را وعظ می‌کنند، حال آنکه بعضی دیگر با حسن‌نیّت. ۱۶اینان از محبت چنین می‌کنند، زیرا می‌دانند که من برای دفاع از انجیل در اینجا گذاشته شده‌ام. ۱۷امّا آنان از سَرِ جاه‌طلبی به مسیح وعظ می‌کنند، نه با خلوص‌نیّت، با این گمان که بر رنجهای من در زندان می‌افزایند. ۱۸امّا چه باک؟ مهم این است که به هر صورت، مسیح موعظه شود، چه نیّت درست باشد، چه نادرست! و من از این بابت شادمانم. آری، و باز هم شادی خواهم کرد، ۱۹زیرا می‌دانم که با دعاهای شما و یاری روحِ عیسی مسیح، اینها به نجات من خواهد انجامید، ۲۰چنانکه مشتاقانه انتظار می‌کشم و امید دارم که در هیچ چیز سرافکنده نخواهم شد، بلکه با کمال دلیری، اکنون نیز چون همیشه، مسیح در بدنم جلال خواهد یافت، خواه در مرگ و خواه در زندگی.

لوقا ۶.۴۶-۷.۱ (انجیل)

۴۶«چگونه است که مرا ’سرورم، سرورم‘ می‌خوانید، امّا به آنچه می‌گویم عمل نمی‌کنید؟ ۴۷آن که نزد من می‌آید و سخنانم را می‌شنود و به آن عمل می‌کند، به شما می‌نمایانم به چه کس می‌مانَد. ۴۸او کسی را مانَد که برای بنای خانه‌ای، زمین را گود کَند و پیِ خانه را بر صخره نهاد. چون سیل آمد و سیلاب بر آن خانه هجوم برد، نتوانست آن را بجنباند، زیرا محکم ساخته شده بود. ۴۹امّا آن که سخنانم را می‌شنود ولی به آن عمل نمی‌کند، کسی را مانَد که خانه‌ای بدون پی، بر زمین ساخت. چون سیلاب بر آن خانه هجوم بُرد، در دم فرو ریخت و ویرانی عظیم بر جای نهاد.» ۱چون عیسی تمامی گفتار خود را با مردم به پایان رسانید، به کَفَرناحوم درآمد.

مبارک آندریاس، دیوانه برای مسیح

St Andrew was bought as a slave by Theognostos,a wealthy citizen of Constantinople, during the reign of the Emperor Leo the Wise. Theognostos recognized Andrew’s unusual ability and taught him to read and write. Despite this, Andrew, obeying a divine revelation, took up the ascesis of folly for Christ, behaving as a madman all day and secretly praying most of the night. His master endeavored to have him cured of his apparent madness, having prayers read over him in church, but to no avail. Finally he discharged Andrew, who thereafter lived in absolute poverty in Constantinople, clothing himself in rags and living on the bread given him by kindly Christians. Anything that he received, beyond that needed for bare survival, he gave to beggars, usually mocking and insulting them at the same time so as not to be thanked or praised for his deeds. Such was the wholeheartedness of his prayers that he was given grace to see angels and demons, to discern the secrets of others, thereby turning them from their sins. It was he who, with his disciple Epiphanius, saw the vision of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God (see October 1). After a life of profound ascetic struggle, he reposed in peace.

کشیش‌شهید کیپریان و باکره-شهید یوستینا (۳۰۴)

“Saint Justina, who was from Damascus, lived in virginity for the sake of Christ. Saint Cyprian, who was from Antioch, began as an initiate of magic and worshipper of the demons. A certain foolish young man who had been smitten with Justina’s beauty hired Cyprian to draw her to love him; when Cyprian had used every demonic device he knew, and had failed, being repulsed by the power of Christ Whom Justina invoked, he understood the weakness of the demons and came to know the truth. Delivered from demonic delusion, he came to Christ and burned all his books of magic, was baptized, and later ascended the episcopal throne in his country. Later, he and Justina were arrested by the Count of Damascus, and having endured many torments at his hands, they were sent finally to Diocletian in Nicomedia, where they were beheaded in the year 304.” (Great Horologion)

قدیس کاسیان یونانی, معجزه‌گر اوگلیچ (۱۵۰۴)

In 1473, Princess Sophia Paleologos came to Russia with a large retinue to marry Prince Ivan III. One of this retinue was a certain nobleman named Constantine, a relative of the last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI Paleologos. Constantine entered into the service of Archbishop Joasaph of Rostov, and in 1489 went with him on his retirement to the Monastery of St Therapont at White Lake. Constantine himself had no plans to become a monk; but on his first night at the monastery St Martinian (January 12) appeared to him, exhorting him to renounce the world immediately. Constantine reported his vision to the Archbishop, who confirmed its authenticity, and Constantine was tonsured a monk with the name Cassian.

The new monk entered into the ascetic struggle with fervor: though he had spent his life as a prince, he gladly undertook the lowliest tasks and the most onerous obedience. At the encouragement of his friend St Nilus of Sora (Nil Sorsky, May 7), he took up a hermit’s life by the River Uchma in the Uglich district. In time various disciples gathered around him, and St Cassian, against his own will, became the head of a skete. His teachings to his disciples always emphasized obedience, care for the poor, and prayer for the departed. He reposed in peace.