Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9 (Vespers)

Wisdom of Solomon 5.15-6.3 (Vespers)

Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15 (Vespers)

Luke 24.12-35 (5th Matins Gospel)

12Dar Petru s-a sculat şi a dat fuga la mormânt. S-a plecat şi s-a uitat înăuntru, dar n-a văzut decât fâşiile de pânză care stăteau pe pământ; apoi a plecat acasă, mirat de cele întâmplate. 13În aceeaşi zi, iată, doi ucenici se duceau la un sat, numit Emaus, care era la o depărtare de şaizeci de stadii de Ierusalim; 14şi vorbeau între ei despre tot ce se întâmplase. 15Pe când vorbeau ei şi se întrebau, Isus S-a apropiat şi mergea pe drum împreună cu ei. 16Dar ochii lor erau împiedicaţi să-L cunoască. 17El le-a zis: „Ce vorbe sunt acestea pe care le schimbaţi între voi pe drum?” Şi ei s-au oprit, uitându-se trişti. 18Drept răspuns, unul din ei, numit Cleopa, I-a zis: „Tu eşti singurul străin aici în Ierusalim, de nu ştii ce s-a întâmplat în el zilele acestea?” 19„Ce?”, le-a zis El. Şi ei I-au răspuns: „Ce s-a întâmplat cu Isus din Nazaret, care era un proroc puternic în fapte şi în cuvinte înaintea lui Dumnezeu şi înaintea întregului norod. 20Cum preoţii cei mai de seamă şi mai marii noştri L-au dat să fie osândit la moarte şi L-au răstignit? 21Noi trăgeam nădejde că El este Acela care va izbăvi pe Israel; dar cu toate acestea, iată că astăzi este a treia zi de când s-au întâmplat aceste lucruri. 22Ba încă nişte femei de ale noastre ne-au pus în uimire: ele s-au dus dis-de-dimineaţă la mormânt, 23nu I-au găsit trupul şi au venit şi au spus că ar fi văzut şi o vedenie de îngeri care ziceau că El este viu. 24Unii din cei ce erau cu noi s-au dus la mormânt şi au găsit aşa cum spuseseră femeile, dar pe El nu L-au văzut.” 25Atunci Isus le-a zis: „O, nepricepuţilor şi zăbavnici cu inima, când este vorba să credeţi tot ce au spus prorocii! 26Nu trebuia să sufere Hristosul aceste lucruri şi să intre în slava Sa?” 27Şi a început de la Moise şi de la toţi prorocii şi le-a tâlcuit, în toate Scripturile, ce era cu privire la El. 28Când s-au apropiat de satul la care mergeau, El S-a făcut că vrea să meargă mai departe. 29Dar ei au stăruit de El şi au zis: „Rămâi cu noi, căci este spre seară, şi ziua aproape a trecut.” Şi a intrat să rămână cu ei. 30Pe când şedea la masă cu ei, a luat pâinea; şi, după ce a rostit binecuvântarea, a frânt-o şi le-a dat-o. 31Atunci li s-au deschis ochii şi L-au cunoscut; dar El S-a făcut nevăzut dinaintea lor. 32Şi au zis unul către altul: „Nu ne ardea inima în noi când ne vorbea pe drum şi ne deschidea Scripturile?” 33S-au sculat chiar în ceasul acela, s-au întors în Ierusalim şi au găsit pe cei unsprezece şi pe cei ce erau cu ei, adunaţi la un loc 34şi zicând: „A înviat Domnul cu adevărat şi S-a arătat lui Simon.” 35Şi au istorisit ce li se întâmplase pe drum şi cum L-au cunoscut la frângerea pâinii.

Colossians 3.4-11 (Epistle, Forefathers)

4Când Se va arăta Hristos, viaţa voastră, atunci vă veţi arăta şi voi împreună cu El în slavă. 5De aceea, omorâţi mădularele voastre care sunt pe pământ: curvia, necurăţia, patima, pofta rea şi lăcomia, care este o închinare la idoli. 6Din pricina acestor lucruri vine mânia lui Dumnezeu peste fiii neascultării. 7Din numărul lor eraţi şi voi odinioară, când trăiaţi în aceste păcate. 8Dar acum lăsaţi-vă de toate aceste lucruri: de mânie, de vrăjmăşie, de răutate, de clevetire, de vorbele ruşinoase care v-ar putea ieşi din gură. 9Nu vă minţiţi unii pe alţii, întrucât v-aţi dezbrăcat de omul cel vechi cu faptele lui, 10şi v-aţi îmbrăcat cu omul cel nou, care se înnoieşte spre cunoştinţă, după chipul Celui ce l-a făcut. 11Aici nu mai este nici grec, nici iudeu, nici tăiere împrejur, nici netăiere împrejur, nici barbar, nici scit, nici rob, nici slobod, ci Hristos este totul şi în toţi.

Galatians 5.22-6.2 (Epistle, St Herman)

22Roada Duhului, dimpotrivă, este: dragostea, bucuria, pacea, îndelunga răbdare, bunătatea, facerea de bine, credincioşia, 23blândeţea, înfrânarea poftelor. Împotriva acestor lucruri nu este lege. 24Cei ce sunt ai lui Hristos Isus şi-au răstignit firea pământească împreună cu patimile şi poftele ei. 25Dacă trăim prin Duhul, să şi umblăm prin Duhul.

26Să nu umblăm după o slavă deşartă, întărâtându-ne unii pe alţii şi pizmuindu-ne unii pe alţii. 1Fraţilor, chiar dacă un om ar cădea deodată în vreo greşeală, voi, care sunteţi duhovniceşti, să-l ridicaţi cu duhul blândeţii. Şi ia seama la tine însuţi, ca să nu fii ispitit şi tu. 2Purtaţi-vă sarcinile unii altora şi veţi împlini astfel legea lui Hristos.

Luke 14.16-24 (Gospel, Forefathers)

16Şi Isus i-a răspuns: „Un om a dat o cină mare şi a poftit pe mulţi. 17La ceasul cinei, a trimis pe robul său să spună celor poftiţi: „Veniţi, căci iată că toate sunt gata.” 18Dar toţi, parcă fuseseră vorbiţi, au început să se dezvinovăţească. Cel dintâi i-a zis: „Am cumpărat un ogor şi trebuie să mă duc să-l văd; rogu-te să mă ierţi.” 19Un altul a zis: „Am cumpărat cinci perechi de boi şi mă duc să-i încerc: iartă-mă, te rog.” 20Un altul a zis: „Tocmai acum m-am însurat şi de aceea nu pot veni.” 21Când s-a întors robul, a spus stăpânului său aceste lucruri. Atunci stăpânul casei s-a mâniat şi a zis robului său: „Du-te degrabă în pieţele şi uliţele cetăţii şi adu aici pe cei săraci, ciungi, orbi şi şchiopi.” 22La urmă, robul a zis: „Stăpâne, s-a făcut cum ai poruncit, şi tot mai este loc.” 23Şi stăpânul a zis robului: „Ieşi la drumuri şi la garduri, şi pe cei ce-i vei găsi, sileşte-i să intre, ca să mi se umple casa. 24Căci vă spun că niciunul din cei poftiţi nu va gusta din cina mea.”

Luke 6.17-23 (Gospel, St Herman)

17S-a coborât împreună cu ei şi S-a oprit într-un podiş unde se aflau mulţi ucenici de ai Lui şi o mare mulţime de oameni, care veniseră din toată Iudeea, din Ierusalim şi de pe lângă marea Tirului şi a Sidonului ca să-L asculte şi să fie vindecaţi de bolile lor. 18Cei chinuiţi de duhuri necurate erau vindecaţi. 19Şi tot norodul căuta să se atingă de El, pentru că din El ieşea o putere care-i vindeca pe toţi. 20Atunci Isus Şi-a ridicat ochii spre ucenicii Săi şi a zis: „Ferice de voi care sunteţi săraci, pentru că Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu este a voastră! 21Ferice de voi care sunteţi flămânzi acum, pentru că voi veţi fi săturaţi! Ferice de voi care plângeţi acum, pentru că voi veţi râde! 22Ferice de voi, când oamenii vă vor urî, vă vor izgoni dintre ei, vă vor ocărî şi vor lepăda numele vostru ca ceva rău, din pricina Fiului omului! 23Bucuraţi-vă în ziua aceea şi săltaţi de veselie; pentru că răsplata voastră este mare în cer; căci tot aşa făceau părinţii lor cu prorocii.

St Herman, Wonderworker of Alaska (1836). First Martyrs of America Juvenaly (1796) and Peter the Aleut (1815 )

St Herman, for many the Patron of North America, was born near Moscow around 1756 to a pious merchant family, and entered monastic life at the age of sixteen, at the Trinity - St Sergius Lavra near St Petersburg. While there he was attacked by a cancer of the face, but the Mother of God appeared to him and healed him completely. He was tonsured a monk in 1783 with the name of Herman (a form of Germanos), and was received into Valaam Monastery on Lake Ladoga. After some time, he was allowed to withdraw to the life of a hermit in the forest, and only came to the monastery for feast days.

In 1793, in response to a request by the Russian-American Commercial Company for missionaries to Alaska, Valaam Monastery was told to select a company of its best monks to travel to America. Eight were chosen, of whom the hermit Herman was one. The company crossed all of Siberia and , almost a year later, first saw Kodiak Island in September 1794. The missionaries set about their work, and found the native Aleut people so receptive to the Gospel of Christ that in the first year about 7,000 were baptized and 1,500 marriages performed.

Despite severe hardships, the missionaries covered huge distances, on foot and in small boats, to reach the scattered fishing settlements of the Aleuts. In general they found a warm reception, but many of the pagan shamans opposed their message and sometimes stirred up the people against them. It was thus that the Priest-monk Juvenaly was killed in 1796, becoming the First Martyr of North America.

Despite such opposition, the missionaries’ major difficulty was with the Russian traders and settlers, who were in the habit of exploiting the Aleuts as they wished, and who had oppressed and disgusted the native people with their immoral behavior. When the missionaries came to the defense of the natives, they were repaid with the opposition of the Russian-American company, whose leadership put countless obstacles in the path of their work. In time, several of the company died at sea, and several more abandoned the mission in discouragement, leaving the monk Herman alone.

He settled on Spruce Island near Kodiak, and once again took up the hermit’s life, dwelling in a small cabin in the forest. He spent his days in prayer and mission work, and denied himself every fleshly comfort: he fasted often and lived on a diet of blackberries, mushrooms and vegetables (in Alaska!!). Despite these privations, he founded an orphanage and a school for the natives of the island, cared for the sick in epidemics, and built a chapel where he conducted divine services attended by many. (He was not a priest, but God made up the lack in miraculous ways: at Theophany, Angels descended to bless the waters of the bay, and the Saint would use the holy water to heal the sick). Asked if he was ever lonely or dejected in his solitude, and replied: “I am not alone; God is here as everywhere, and the Angels too. There is no better company.”

Saint Herman reposed in peace on Spruce island, at the age of eighty-one, in 1836. At the moment of his departure, his face was radiant with light, and the inhabitants nearby saw a pillar of light rising above his hermitage. His last wish was to be buried on Spruce Island. When some of his well-intended disciples attempted to take his relics back to Kodiak to be buried from the church there, a storm rose up and continued unabated until they had abandoned the plan and buried him as he desired. He was officially glorified in 1970, the first canonized American Saint.

Saint Peter was a young Aleut convert to the Orthodox faith. In 1812 the Russian- American Company set up a post in California, where Russians and Aleuts farmed and traded to supply the needs of the Alaskans; Peter was one of these. The Spanish, who at the time ruled California, suspected the Russians of territorial ambitions, and in 1815 captured about twenty Orthodox Aleuts and took them to San Francisco. Fourteen of these were put to torture in an effort to convert them to the Roman Catholic faith. All refused to compromise their faith, and Peter and a companion were singled out for especially vicious treatment: Peter’s fingers, then hands and feet, were severed, and he died from loss of blood, still firm in his confession. The Latins were preparing the same fate for the others when word came that they were to be transferred; eventually they returned to Alaska. When he heard a first-hand account of Peter’s martyrdom, Saint Herman crossed himself and said “Holy New Martyr Peter, pray to God for us!” Saint Peter the Aleut is the first recognized Saint of American birth.

St Herman appears several times on the Church’s calendar. The Synaxis of St Herman and the American Protomartyrs is celebrated today. St Herman is commemorated on November 15, the day of his repose; but (partly because pilgrimage to Alaska is so difficult in the winter) the day of his glorification, July 27 / August 9 is kept there as his primary feast day.

Following is a fragment of a conversation between St Herman and some officers of a Russian ship, recorded by his disciple Yanovsky; it includes perhaps the most familiar quotation from St Herman.

“But do you love God?” asked the Elder. And all answered: “Of course we love God. How can we not love God?” “And I, a sinner, have tried to love God for more than forty years, and I cannot say that I perfectly love Him,” answered Father Herman, and began to explain how one must love God. “If we love someone,” he said, “then we always think of that one, we strive to please that one; day and night our heart is preoccupied with that object. Is it in this way, gentlemen, that you love God? Do you often turn to Him, do you always remember Him, do you always pray to Him and fulfill His Holy commandments?” We had to admit that we did not. “For our good, for our happiness,” concluded the Elder, “at least let us give a vow to ourselves, that from this day, from this hour, from this minute, we shall strive above all else to love God and to do His Holy Will!”

Saint Herman is also commemorated on December 12.

Martyrs Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius, and Orestes at Sebaste

“These five courageous men shone like five resplendent stars in the dark days of the anti-Christian Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. St Eustratius was a Roman general in the city of Satalios, Eugene was one of his comrades in arms and Orestes likewise a respected soldier. Auxentius was a priest and Mardarius a simple citizen who came, like Eustratius, from the town of Aravraca. The imperial governors, Lysias and Agricola, tortured Auxentius first as he was a priest. Beholding the innocent suffering of the Christians, Eustratius presented himself before Lycias and declared that he also was a Christian. While Eustratius was being tortured, Eugene stood up before the judge and cried out: ‘I am a Christian too, Lycias!’ When they were driving Eustratius and the other martyrs through the town, Mardarius saw them from the roof of his house, and he took leave of his wife and two frail daughters and hastened after them, shouting into the faces of their tormentors: ‘I am a Christian too, like the Lord Eustratius!’ Orestes was a young and handsome soldier, who stood head and shoulders above all the other soldiers. One day, when he was at target practice in Lycias’s presence, the Cross he was wearing fell from his breast, and Lycias realised that he was a Christian. Orestes openly confessed his faith, and was martyred with the others. Auxentius was beheaded, Eugene and Mardarius died under torture, Orestes was exposed on a red-hot iron grid and Eustratius died in a flaming furnace. St Blaise (see Feb. 11th) gave Communion to St Eustratius in prison before his death. Their relics were later taken to Constantinople, and are preserved in the church dedicated to them — The Holy Five Companions. They were seen alive in that church, and St Orestes appeared to St Dimitri of Rostov (see Oct. 28th). A beautiful prayer by St Eustratius is extant, which is read at the Midnight Service on Saturdays: ‘I glorify Thy majesty, 0 Lord for Thou hast regarded my lowliness and hast not shut me up in the hands of my enemies, but hast saved my soul from want…’. ” (Prologue)

Holy Virgin Maryr Lucy of Syracuse (304)

During Diocletian’s persecutians, the Christian maiden Lucy went with her mother on pilgrimage to the tomb of St Agatha (February 5), to pray for her mother’s healing from an ailment. Saint Agatha appeared to Lucy in a dream and said ‘Lucy, my sister, why do you ask from me what your own faith can obtain? Your mother is healed. You will soon be the glory of Syracuse as I am of Catania.’ Lucy’s mother was healed from that day, and Lucy determined to consecrate herself entirely to God. She broke off an engagement to a nobly-born young man and gave her large dowry of land and jewels to the poor. Her would-be husband angrily denounced her as a Christian to the Governor of Syracuse.

At the tribunal, Lucy firmly confessed her faith in Christ and refused to make sacrifice to the gods. The Governor ordered that she be placed in a brothel, but his minions were unable to move her from the place where she stood, even when they tied her with ropes and attempted to drag her with oxen. The Governor asked what witchcraft she used, to which she answered ‘I do not use witchcraft — it is the power of God that is with me. Bring ten thousand of your men if you wish; they will not be able to move me unless God wills it.’ The men then lit a fire around her, but it did not harm her. Finally they beheaded her where she stood. With her last words, she predicted the deaths of Maximian and Diocletian, and the coming of peace to the Church.