Holy Trinity Orthodox Church

The Church gives us a Pre-Feast of the Navitity beginning on December 20th. Here is a sample of the hymns sung for the Pre-Feast:

The never-setting Sun presses forward to rise, enlightening all things under heaven. Let us hasten with clean hands and pure deeds to meet Him; let us prepare to be borne on high with Him in spirit! Let us beseech Him in His compassion, that, as He comes in His good pleasure to His own strange birth, He may lead us, who have become strangers to the path of life in Eden, into Bethlehem where He comes to be born!

O Word of God without beginning, the Virgin lays You in a manger of dumb beasts. You choose to begin Your life in the flesh in a manner beyond understanding. You have come to loose me from the fetters of evil with which the envious serpent bound me. O Lover of mankind, You are wrapped in swaddling clothes, tearing to pieces the bonds of my countless sins. Therefore, I joyfully praise and worship Your holy birth, for You came to set me free.

Today, December 18, 2008, we remember the Holy Martyr Sebastian and those with him. 

The Holy Martyr Sebastian was born in the city of Narbonum in Gaul (modern France), and he received his education at Mediolanum (now Milan). Under the co-reigning emperors Diocletian and Maximian (284-305) he occupied the position of head of the imperial guards. St Sebastian was respected for his authority, and was loved by the soldiers and those at court. He was a brave man filled with wisdom, his word was honest, his judgment just, insightful in advice, faithful in his service and in everything entrusted to him. He was a secret Christian, not out of fear, but so that he could provide help to the brethren in a time of persecution.

You can read more about St. Sebastian at http://www.oca.org/FSlives.asp.

Today we remember St. Dionysios, Bishop of Aegina, the miracle worker in Zakynthos. This is a special day for the Kansas City area as we share in the joy of the Patronal Feast of St. Dionysios Greek Orthodox Church! Here is a brief synopsis of his life taken from www.oca.org:

Saint Dionysios was born in 1547 on the island of Zakynthos. Though born into a noble family, he was determined to flee the world and set his mind upon heavenly things. He entered the monastery of Strophada, and after the prescribed time, he was clothed in the angelic schema by the abbot. Though young in years, he surpassed many of his elders in virtue, and was found worthy of ordination to the holy priesthood.

Although he protested his unworthiness, St Dionysios was consecrated Bishop of Aegina. In that office he never ceased to teach and admonish his flock, and many were drawn to him in order to profit from his wisdom. He feared the praise of men, lest he should fall into the sin of vainglory, so he resigned his See and returned to Zakynthos.

In 1579 the diocese of Zakynthos was widowed (when a bishop dies, his diocese is described as "widowed"), and Dionysios agreed to care for it until a new bishop could be elected. Then he fled from the worldly life which gave him no peace, and went to the Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos Anaphonitria, twenty miles from the main village.

A certain stranger murdered the saint's brother Constantine, an illustrious nobleman. Fearing his victim's relatives, the stranger, by chance or by God's will, sought refuge in the monastery where St Dionysios was the abbot. When the saint asked the fugitive why he was so frightened, he confessed his sin and revealed the name of the man he had murdered, asking to be protected from the family's vengeance. St Dionysios wept for his only brother, as was natural. Then he comforted the murderer and hid him, showing him great compassion and love.

Soon the saint's relatives came to the monastery with a group of armed men and told him what had happened. He pretended to know nothing about it. After weeping with them and trying to console them, he sent them off in the wrong direction. Then he told the murderer that he was the brother of the man he had killed. He admonished him as a father, and brought him to repentance. After forgiving him, St Dionysios brought him down to the shore and helped him to escape to another place in order to save his life. Because of the saint's Christ-like virtue, he was granted the gift of working miracles.

Having passed his life in holiness, St Dionysios reached a great age, then departed to the Lord on December 17, 1624. Not only are the saint's relics incorrupt, but he is also one of Greece's "walking saints" (St Gerasimus and St Spyridon are the others). He is said to leave his reliquary and walk about performing miracles for those who seek his aid. In fact, the soles of his slippers wear out and must be replaced with a new pair from time to time. The old slippers are cut up, and the pieces are distributed to pilgims. On August 24, we celebrate the Transfer of his Holy Relics.

Brrrr.............it's another frigid day! It was a strange morning as it began to snow just before school would start. Most of the Missouri schools were closed and the Kansas schools were mostly open. My boys had school!

Today, December 16, we remember the Prophet Haggai. Seems that many would forget that this is also one of the books of the Old Testament--in between Zephaniah and Zechariah. It's only two chapters, so you could probably read it in less than 15 minutes. Haggai means "one who celebrates," or "festal." Haggai was of the priestly lineage of the tribe of Levi and lived about 470 years before the time of Jesus Christ. He prophesied about the rebuilding of the temple after the end of the Babylonian captivity, himself having been born a captive in Babylon.

It's interesting that this Sunday (the Sunday before the Nativity) we will read the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:1-25), which mentions the Babylonian captivity. The footnote from the Orthodox Study Bible comments on Matthew 1:17: "Christ's ancestors are arranged in three groups of fourteen generations. Fourteen is the numerical equivalent of the consonants in the name David, underlining Jesus' descent from David. This also shows the division of the leadership of the Jews, being under judges until David, under kings until Babylon, and under priests until Christ." Haggai, it seems, was a priest.

Today (December 15) we remember the Hieromartyr Eleutherios and his mother Anthia. It's a frigid morning in Kansas!

Anthia was baptized by the Apostle Paul, and, after her husband died, she had her son, Eleutherios, educated by the Bishop of Rome, Anacletos. By the age of 12, Eleutherios had obtained the equivalent of a college degree, was made a reader at age 13, a deacon at 15, a priest at 17, and finally bishop at 20! He won many converts and was very popular. The Emperor Hadrian ordered his arrest and sent the Centurion, Felix, to arrest him. After hearing one of Eleutherios' sermons, Felix was baptized!

Amazingly, Eleutherios encouraged Felix to follow out his orders, and they returned to Rome together. Eleutherios was boiled in oil, burned on an iron grid, flogged, and burned in a furnace. Standing by the remains of her son, Anthia was beheaded. The relics of Eleutherios are in the city of Valona.