St. Luke Orthodox Christian Church Diocese of the South, Orthodox Church in America 1415 Woodstock Ave. Anniston, AL 36207 www.stlukeanniston.org The Rev. Father Basil Henry, Priest Contact: (256) 235-3893 or basilncana@yahoo.com
November 24, 2013
AfterFeast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple GreatMartyr Catherine of Alexandria. GreatMartyr Mercurius of Cæsarea Martyr Merkúry of Smolensk (1238). Ven. Mercurius, Faster, of the Kiev Caves (Far Caves—14th c.). Martyrs Augusta the Empress, Porphyrius the General, and 20 soldiers, martyred at Alexandria with Greatmartyr Catherine (305-313). Virgin Mastridia of Alexandria. Martyr Philotheus (Romanian—1060). Ven. Simon, Abbot of Soiga Monastery (Vologdá—1562).
Announcements
Happy Thanksgiving
Mon, 11/18
This Week’s Fasting, Service and Scripture Schedule Tues, 11/19 Wed, 11/20 Thurs, 11/21 Fri, 11/22 Sat, 11/23
Nativity Fast
Thanksgiving
Sun, 11/24
Nativity Fast
Matins 8 a.m.
Matins 8 a.m.
Matins 8 a.m.
No Services
No Services
Great Vespers, Divine Liturgy 4 p.m. 10 a.m.
1 Thess. 1:1-5
1 Thess. 1:6-10
1 Thess. 2:1-8
1 Thess. 2:9-14
1 Thess. 2:14-19
2 Cor. 8:1-5
Ephes. 2:4-10
Luke 19:37-44
Luke 19:45-48
Luke 20:1-8
Luke 20:9-18
Luke 20:19-26
Luke 12:32-40
Luke 18:18-27
Hebrews 9:1-7
1 Cor. 4:9-16
Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28
John 1:35-51
Service times are subject to change. Please check with Fr. Basil if in any doubt.
Great Vespers “Lord, I Call”
v. (10) Lead forth my soul from prison, that I may confess Thy name! Tone 5
(for the Resurrection)
By Thy precious Cross, O Christ, Thou hast put the devil to shame. By Thy Resurrection, Thou hast blunted the sting of sin and saved us from the gates of death.// We glorify Thee, the only begotten One. v. (9) The righteous await me, till Thou shalt reward me. Christ was led as a sheep to the slaughter in order to grant Resurrection to the human race. The princes of hell were frightened by this, for the gates of sorrow were lifted. Christ, the King of glory had entered, saying to those in chains: “Go forth!”// And to those in darkness: “Come to the light! v. (8) Out of the depths I cry to Thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! O, great wonder! The Creator of the invisible suffered in the flesh in His love for man and rose again immortal. Come, O sons of nations, let us worship Him! Delivered from error by His compassion,// we have learned to sing of one God in three Persons! v. (7) Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! Tone 5
(for the Feast)
Today, let us the faithful, dance for joy, singing to the Lord with psalms and hymns, venerating His hallowed Tabernacle, the Living Ark, that contained the Word Who cannot be contained; for she, a young child in the flesh, is offered in wondrous fashion to the Lord,// and with rejoicing, Zacharias, the great High Priest, receives her as the dwelling place of God. v. (6) If Thou, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee. ~1~
Today the living Temple of the holy glory of Christ our God, she who alone among women is pure and blessed, is offered in the Temple of the Law, that she may make her dwelling in the Sanctuary. Joachim and Anna rejoice with her in spirit, and choirs of virgins sing to the Lord,// chanting psalms, and honoring His Mother. v. (5) For Thy name’s sake I have waited for Thee, O Lord, my soul has waited for Thy word; my soul has hoped on the Lord. You, O Virgin Mother of God, is she who the Prophets proclaimed. You are the glory of the Apostles and the pride of Martyrs, the restoration of all who dwell on earth, for through you, we are reconciled to God. Therefore, we honor your coming into the Temple of the Lord; and saved by your intercession, with the Angel, we all cry to you:// “Rejoice, Most Holy Lady!” v. (4) From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope on the Lord! Tone 8
(for GreatMartyr Catherine)
Today the city of Alexandria adorns itself with wisdom, O Martyr, having thy childhood garments within thy holy temple. Therefore, O Catherine, we also celebrate in reverence thy honored memory.// Pray for those who honor thee! v. (3) For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all his transgression. Today let us celebrate the memory of Catherine, for by great word and deed she truly trampled all the powers of the foe and the opposition of the orators.// By her prayers, O God, deliver us from the godless enemy! v. (2) O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people. Tone 8
(for GreatMartyr Mercurius)
O passion-bearer Mercurius, thou didst vanquish the adversary with the help of the Holy Spirit; as an invincible warrior thou didst cut down the noetic Moors with the sword of faith. Bringing thy struggle to an end in accordance with the law, thou didst receive a crown with all those who suffered,// O most blessed great martyr. v. (1) For His mercy hath been confirmed upon us, and the truth of the Lord remaineth forever. ~2~
Sent to thee from heaven at the behest of the Holy Spirit, an Angel healed thy wounds. After this healing, thou wast suspended, stretched out and bound to a heavy stone, and treacherously pierced with heated spears,// shedding thy blood everywhere, O martyr. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit… Tone 2
(for GreatMartyr Catherine)
All who love the martyrs, let us hasten joyfully to the feast of the divinely-wise Martyr Catherine! Let us crown her with praises as with flowers, crying out to her: “Rejoice, for thou didst denounce the insolence of foolish orators filled with ignorant thoughts and led them to the divine Faith! Rejoice, for thou didst give thy body over to torments for love of thy Creator and wast not destroyed, for thou wast an invincible woman! Rejoice, for thou hast inherited the mansions on high as the reward for thy struggles!” Now thou dost delight in eternal glory.// Desiring this glory, may we who hymn thee, not lose our hope in it! Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Tone 5
(Dogmatikon)
In the Red Sea of old, a type of the Virgin Bride was prefigured. There Moses divided the waters; here Gabriel assisted in the miracle. There Israel crossed the sea without getting wet, here the Virgin gave birth to Christ without seed. After Israel’s passage, the sea remained impassable. After Emmanuel’s birth, the Virgin remained a Virgin. O ever-existing God, Who appeared as Man,// O Lord, have mercy on us!
Aposticha
Tone 4
(for the Resurrection)
We magnify Thee in songs of praise, O incarnate Christ and Savior. By accepting the Cross and death for our sake, as the Lord and Lover of man, Thou didst overthrow the gates of hell,// and didst arise on the third day, saving our souls. ~3~
v. The Lord hath become King; with beauty hath he clothed himself. By being pierced in the side, O Lover of man, Thou hast poured out drops of life and salvation for all. By accepting death in the flesh, Thou hast granted us immortality. Thou hast freed us by being placed in the tomb, and hast resurrected us with Thyself in glory, as God.// Glory to Thee, O Lord and Lover of man! v. For He hath established the world, which shall not be moved. Thy crucifixion and descent into hell are awesome, O Lover of man. Thou hast captured it, releasing the ancient prisoners. Thou hast opened Paradise and given it to us. Grant us purification of sins, who glorify Thy Resurrection on the third day! Make us worthy of Paradise// and save us, O Lover of man! v. Holiness belongeth to Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days! For our sake, Thou didst accept death in the flesh, to rise from the dead on the third day. Heal us from our earthly passions, and restore us from our evil transgressions;// and save us, O Lover of man! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit‌ Tone 2
(for GreatMartyr Catherine)
Thou didst acquire an immaterial life; coming before the godless tribunal, thou didst stand arrayed in divine might, O victorious and honored Catherine, wearing the radiance of God as an adornment of flowers! Thou didst mock the tyrants command, O greatly suffering one,// ending the insolent speech of the orators. Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Tone 8
(for the Feast)
David foretold thee, O all-pure one, as he foresaw the sanctification of thy entry into the Temple. Thus, all the ends of the earth feast today and glorify thee, O all-praised one. For, O Mother of the Word of Life, a virgin before giving birth and remaining incorrupt after giving birth, Zachariah is joyful and accepts thee in the Temple, O Lady. ~4~
The Holy of Holies rejoices and receives thee, the wellspring of our life. Therefore, we also cry out in songs to thee:// “Beseech thy Son and our God in our behalf, that He grant us great mercy!”
Troparia Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 5) Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, co-ëternal with the Father and the Spirit, born for our salvation from the Virgin; for He willed to be lifted up on the Cross in the flesh, to endure death, and to raise the dead// by His glorious Resurrection. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit… Troparion for the GreatMartyr Catherine of Alexandria (Tone 4) By your virtues as by rays of the sun you enlightened the unbelieving philosophers, and like the most bright moon you drove away the darkness of disbelief from those walking in the night; you convinced the queen, and also chastised the tyrant, God-summoned bride, blessed Catherine. You hastened with desire to the heavenly bridal chamber of the fairest Bridegroom of Christ, and you were crowned by Him with a royal crown;// Standing before Him with the Angels, pray for us who keep your most sacred memory! Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Troparion for the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (Tone 4) Today is the prelude of the good will of God, of the preaching of the salvation of mankind. The Virgin appears in the Temple of God, in anticipation proclaiming Christ to all. Let us rejoice and sing to her:// “Rejoice, O Fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation!”
~5~
Divine Liturgy The Beatitudes
In Thy Kingdom remember us, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
The thief on the cross believing Thee to be God confessed Thee earnestly from his heart, crying aloud: ‘O Lord, remember me in Thy kingdom.’ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Let us with one accord praise as Savior and creator Him Who made life flower for our kind by the wood of the cross and Who withered the curse coming from the tree. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
By Thy death, O Christ, Thou hast destroyed the might of death and hast raised with Thyself those dead from the ages praising Thee as our true God and Savior. Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
The holy women having come to the tomb, O Christ, sought to anoint Thee, giver of life, with myrrh, and an angel appeared to them crying aloud: ‘The Lord is risen.’ Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.
Today has the temple become a wedding adornment and a fair chamber for the Virgin, as it receives the living Bridal Chamber of God, pure and without spot, She Who shines more brightly than all the creation. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.
David, leading the dance, leaps in gladness and rejoices with us, and Thee, O undefiled and all-pure Virgin, he calls the Queen, clad in raiment of many-colored needlework, standing in the temple before the King of God. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The hosts of angels and the multitude of all mankind dance today before Thy face, O all-pure Lady, and carrying lamps they go before Thee, proclaiming Thy greatness in the house of God. Both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He Whom nothing can contain was contained in Thy womb, O undefiled Mother of God, and from Thee He has come forth double in nature, God and Man. ~6~
Troparia/Kontakia Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 5) Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, co-ëternal with the Father and the Spirit, born for our salvation from the Virgin; for He willed to be lifted up on the Cross in the flesh, to endure death, and to raise the dead// by His glorious Resurrection. Troparion for the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (Tone 4) Today is the prelude of the good will of God, of the preaching of the salvation of mankind. The Virgin appears in the Temple of God, in anticipation proclaiming Christ to all. Let us rejoice and sing to her:// “Rejoice, O Fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation!” Troparion for the Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria (Tone 4) By your virtues as by rays of the sun you enlightened the unbelieving philosophers, and like the most bright moon you drove away the darkness of disbelief from those walking in the night; you convinced the queen, and also chastised the tyrant, God-summoned bride, blessed Catherine. You hastened with desire to the heavenly bridal chamber of the fairest Bridegroom of Christ, and you were crowned by Him with a royal crown;// Standing before Him with the Angels, pray for us who keep your most sacred memory! Troparion for the Great Martyr Mercurius of Cæsarea (Tone 4) Thy holy martyr Mercurius, O Lord, through his sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from Thee, O God. For having Thy strength, he laid low his adversaries, and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.// Through his intercessions, save our souls! Kontakion of the Resurrection (Tone 5) Thou didst descended into hell, O my Savior, shattering its gates as Almighty, resurrecting the dead as Creator, and destroying the sting of death. Thou hast delivered Adam from the curse, O Lover of Man,// and we cry to Thee: “O Lord, save us!” ~7~
Kontakion for the GreatMartyr Catherine of Alexandria (Tone 2) Let all of us who love to honor the martyrs form a great choir in praise of the most wise Catherine, for she preached Christ and trampled the serpent,// despising the knowledge of the orators. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit… Kontakion for the GreatMartyr Mercurius of Cæsarea (Tone 4) In battle an invincible warrior and in calamity a bold protector; we bless Mercurius and we praise him with songs; for he saves from calamities and sorrows// those who joyously celebrate his memory. Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Kontakion for the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (Tone 4) The all-pure Temple of the Savior; the precious Bridal Chamber and Virgin; the sacred Treasure of God’s glory, today is brought to the house of the Lord, and she brings with her the grace of the Holy Spirit. God’s angels sing in praise of her:// “Truly she is the Heavenly tabernacle!”
Prokeimenon
(for the Resurrection)
Tone 5
Thou, O Lord, shalt protect us and preserve us from this generation forever. v: Save me, O Lord, for there is no longer any that is godly. Tone 3
(for the Feast) v: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
The Epistle Reading Galatians 6:11-18
(for the Resurrection)
Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and not only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen. ~8~
Alleluia (for the Resurrection)
Tone 5
v: I will sing of Thy mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Thy Truth from generation to generation. v: Thou hast said: Mercy will be established forever; Thy truth will be prepared in the heavens. Tone 8 (for the Feast) v: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear!
The Gospel Reading Luke 13:10-17
(for the Resurrection)
At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.
Hymn to the Theotokos
(Instead of “It is truly meet …,” we sing:) Angels marveled when they saw the entry of the most Holy Virgin, how she entered with glory into the Holy Temple. Since you are the living temple of God, O Theotokos, no profane hand shall approach you. But let all believers praise you, and cry to you forever with the voice of the angel: “O Holy Virgin, you are more exalted than all creatures.”
The Healing of the Woman with a Spirit of Infirmity Luke 13:10-17
From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Matthew by Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria
16-21. And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over, and could in no wise straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And He laid His hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead it away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when He had said these things, all His adversaries were ashamed: and all the ~9~
people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. The woman suffered from this affliction as a result of demonic assault, as the Lord Himself says, This woman, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years. Perhaps God had departed from her on account of certain sins, and as a result Satan was punishing her. For Satan is in part the cause of all the hardships which afflict our bodies, when God on high permits him. From the very beginning it was Satan who brought about our fall by which we lost the incorruptibility in which we had been created; it was Satan who caused us to be bound to diseased bodies prone to suffering, symbolized by the garments of dead skins in which Adam and Eve were wrapped (Gen. 3:22). But now the Lord, with the majestic voice of the Godhead, full of power, drives out the infirmity of this woman. He places His hands on her, so that we might learn that His holy flesh imparted both the power and the energy of the Logos. For His flesh was His own, and not that of some other human person alongside Him, separate from Him in hypostasis, as the impious Nestorius thinks.1 So great is the goodness of the Lord, Who in this manner took mercy on His own creation. But Satan, who had bound the woman in the first place, was vexed at her deliverance because he desired her continued affliction, and so he bound the ruler of the synagogue with spite, and through the mouth of this man, Satan reviled the miracle. This is how he always attacks the good. Therefore the Lord uses the apt example of irrational animals to rebuke the man who was indignant that a healing had taken place on the Sabbath. And thus not only this man, but all the other adversaries of Jesus as well, were put to shame by Christ’s words. For it was insane to hinder the healing of a man on the Sabbath using as a pretext the commandment that the Sabbath be a day of rest. So it was, that even while the people were rejoicing at the Lord’s deeds, His adversaries were put to shame by His words. For these adversaries, instead of joining in the jubilation which followed His work of healing, burned with rage that He had healed at all. But the multitude, because they derived benefit from His signs, rejoiced and took pleasure in this healing. You must also understand these miracles to refer to the inner man. The soul is bent over in infirmity whenever it inclines to earthly thoughts alone and imagines nothing that is heavenly and divine. It can truly be said that such a soul has been infirm for eighteen years. For when a man is feeble in keeping the commandments of the divine law, which are ten in number, and is weak in his hope of the eighth age, the age to come, it can be said that he has been bent over for ten and eight years.2 Is not that man indeed bent over who is attached to the earth, and who always sins in disregard of the commandments, and who does not look for the age to come? But the Lord heals such a soul on the Sabbath in the assembly of the synagogue. For when a man assembles together within himself thoughts of confession (Judah means “confession”) and keeps the Sabbath, that is, he rests from doing evil, then Jesus heals him, not only by word when He says to him, Thou art loosed from thine infirmity, but also by deed. For when He has placed His hands on us, He requires that we accept the energy from His divine hands to do in collaboration with Him the works of virtue. We must not be satisfied to receive only that healing which comes by word and by instruction. 1. The heretic Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople from 428 to 431 A,D., taught that the co-unoriginate Logos was not conceived and did not take flesh in the Virgins womb, but instead was united to Christ the man at some later time. This implied that the two natures of Christ, the divine and the human, were not united in one hypostasis, that is, in one person, but in two, and therefore were not truly united. If this were so, Christ would not have accomplished the salvation of the human race. As a result Nestorius called the Virgin Mary Christokos, that is, the Birthgiver of Christ, but refused to call her the Theotokos, the Birthgiver of God. This false teaching was condemned as heresy at the Third Ecumenical Council held in Ephesus in the year 431, and from that time Nestorius and all who follow his teaching have been outside the Church. 2. The Greek text of the Gospel expresses the number of years in this fashion: ete deka kai okto, “ten and eight years.” ~10~
The Feast of The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
O
n November 21st, not even a full week into the Nativity Fast, we celebrate one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church: the Presentation, or Entry, of the Theotokos into the Temple. What does this feast signify for us?
This feast constitutes a “churchly” meditation on the Incarnation of the Word, a meditation that takes place in the inner life of the Church. Like a number of the feasts of the Mother of our Lord, the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos is based on the Tradition of the Church rather than on scripture references. The Scriptures are silent not only on the early life of Christ, but also the lives of those closest to Him. In fact, when the Blessed St. Jerome was pressed to reveal details about the life of the Theotokos, he demurred. The fourth-century father and scholar is reputed to have remarked that, “If you were to ask me how the Most Holy Virgin passed the time of her youth, I would answer that this is known only to God Himself and the Archangel Gabriel detailed to protect her.” We know little about the life of the Virgin Mary. But the witness of the Tradition of the Church gives us some information on which to meditate. Some of the early reflections of the Church on the life of Jesus and His fore-bearers are found in the Proto-Evangelium of James, a secondcentury book into which much of the lore of the first-century Christian community was assembled. In the Proto-Evangelium of James, we find early Christian reflection on the life and meaning of the Theotokos. We learn that Mary was conceived miraculously to a barren Joachim and Anna. We come face to face, as well, with the tradition that Joachim and Anna take Mary to the temple in order to consecrate her to the service of the Lord. (This kind of parental offering has clear antecedents in Jewish piety. Consider, for example, Elkanah’s and Hannah’s presentation of Samuel before the High Priest in thanksgiving for the divine opening Hannah’s womb in I Samuel 1.) What is truly surprising in this story is that Mary is female—which under the Jewish Law exiled her from the inner sanctums of temple worship. Nonetheless, moving prophetically, the High Priest Zacharias overturns these proscriptions and escorts her through the various courts of the temple and directly into the Holy of Holies where she remains for a number of years. This three-year-old child, the old priest forsees, will contain the uncontainable. She is the hope of Israel and, indeed, of the whole world. Zacharias is the first to discern that both the temple and the Ark of the Covenant are but shadows pointing to a total fulfillment in the Theotokos who—as a new Holy of Holies—contains God Himself made flesh! He realizes, in total amazement, that she is the climax of Jewish history: that through her all the world will be blessed and that she will bear Him who will unite God with Man, unite Man with God, and thus save the world!
Theology at its most fundamental level is about our prayerful reflection on the Faith. And so this feast becomes a genuine feast of theology for us. It is our chance once again to ponder the goodness of the Father under the Old Covenant and His mercies toward us under the New. We remember His careful preparation of His people (the Jews) for the Coming of His Son—of which Mary is the carefully-nurtured fruit—and His extension of grace through the coming of His Spirit to all mankind. As we survey the Father’s awesome economy of salvation, we cannot forget the role of a humble woman named Mary who herself became the temple of the Lord. Her life reminds us of our supreme calling: to follow her in becoming the temple, the ark, the bearer of the very glory of God. This is the Feast and this is the Gospel. May we keep it with joy! ~11~
T
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
he Holy Great Martyr Catherine was the daughter of Constus, the governor of Alexandrian Egypt during the reign of the emperor Maximian (305-313). Living in the capital, the center of Hellenistic knowledge, and possessed of a rare beauty and intellect, Catherine received an excellent education, studying the works of the greatest philosophers and teachers of antiquity. Young men from the most worthy families of the empire sought the hand of the beautiful Catherine, but she was not interested in any of them. She told her parents that she would enter into marriage only with someone who surpassed her in nobility, wealth, comeliness and wisdom. Catherine’s mother, a secret Christian, sent her to her own spiritual Father, a saintly Elder living in a cave outside the city, for advice. After listening to Catherine, the Elder said that he knew of a Youth who surpassed her in everything. “His countenance is more radiant than the shining of the sun, and all of creation is governed by His wisdom. His riches are given to all the nations of the world, yet they never diminish. His compassion is unequaled.” This description of the Heavenly Bridegroom produced in the soul of the holy maiden an ardent desire to see Him. “If you do as I tell you,” said the monk, “you will gaze upon the countenance of this illustrious man.” In parting, the Elder handed Catherine an icon of the Theotokos with the divine Child Jesus on Her arm and told her to pray with faith to the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Heavenly Bridegroom, and She would hear Catherine and grant her heart’s desire. Catherine prayed all night and was permitted to see the Most Holy Virgin, Who said Her Divine Son, “Behold Thy handmaiden Catherine, how fair and virtuous she is.” But the Child turned His face away from her saying, “No, she is ugly and unbelieving. She is a foolish pauper, and I cannot bear to look at her until she forsakes her impiety.” Catherine returned again to the Elder deeply saddened, and told him what she had seen in the dream. He lovingly received her, instructed her in the faith of Christ, admonished her to preserve her purity and integrity and to pray unceasingly. She then received the Mystery of holy Baptism from him. Again St Catherine had a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos with Her Child. Now the Lord looked tenderly at her and gave her a beautiful ring, a wondrous token of her betrothal to the Heavenly Bridegroom (This ring is still on her hand). At that time the emperor Maximian was in Alexandria for a pagan festival. Therefore, the celebration was especially splendid and crowded. The cries of the sacrificial animals, the smoke and the smell of the sacrifices, the endless blazing of fires, and the bustling crowds at the arenas defiled the city of Alexandria. Human victims also were brought, the confessors of Christ, those who would not deny Him under torture. They were condemned ~12~
to death in the fire. The saint’s love for the Christian martyrs and her fervent desire to ease their sufferings compelled Catherine to speak to the pagan priest and to the emperor Maximian. Introducing herself, the saint confessed her faith in the One True God and with wisdom exposed the errors of the pagans. The beauty of the maiden captivated the emperor. In order to convince her and to show the superiority of pagan wisdom, the emperor ordered fifty of the most learned philosophers and rhetoricians of the Empire to dispute with her, but the saint got the better of the wise men, so that they came to believe in Christ themselves. St Catherine made the Sign of the Cross over the martyrs, and they bravely accepted death for Christ and were burned alive by order of the emperor. Maximian, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to entice her with the promise of riches and fame. Receiving an angry refusal, the emperor gave orders to subject the saint to terrible tortures and then throw her in prison. The Empress Augusta, who had heard much about the saint, wanted to see her. She prevailed upon the military commander Porphyrius to accompany her to the prison with a detachment of soldiers. The empress was impressed by the strong spirit of St Catherine, whose face was radiant with divine grace. The holy martyr explained the Christian teaching to them, and they were converted to Christ. On the following day they again brought the martyr to the judgment court where, under the threat of being broken on the wheel, they urged that she renounce the Christian Faith and offer sacrifice to the gods. The saint steadfastly confessed Christ and she herself approached the wheels; but an angel smashed the instruments of execution, which shattered into pieces with many pagans standing nearby. Having beheld this wonder, the Empress Augusta and the imperial courtier Porphyrius with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone, and they were beheaded. Maximian again tried to entice the holy martyr, proposing marriage to her, and again he was refused. St Catherine firmly confessed her fidelity to the heavenly Bridegroom Christ, and with a prayer to Him she herself lay her head on the block beneath the executioner’s sword.
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Veneration & Patronage
atherine’s body was miraculously transferred to an impassable place on the highest peaks of Mt. Sinai. In the year 549, Emperor Justinian founded a monastery on Mt. Sinai, and built a church named The Transfiguration of the Savior. Some 400 years later the monks of the monastery found the body of Saint Catherine and placed it in a sepulcher in the katholikon of the monastery, enshrined for veneration. The monks found on the surface of the granite on which her body lay, an impression of the form of her body. After her body was enshrined in the monastery, the monks renamed the church Saint Catherine. Thus the official celebration of the monastery takes place on the 25th of November, the nameday of Saint Catherine.
The monks prepared a monogram for Saint Catherine by using the first three letters of her Greek name clustered around a cross in red for her martyrdom and white for her purity. In 1480, a traveler named Monsignor Bernard de Breydenbach, famous as an accurate and conscientious observer, climbed Mt. Sinai to investigate the curious phenomenon of the impression of her body on granite. He wrote, “On the top of this mountain exists a stony place bearing the form of a human body which was worked neither by iron nor by another human instrument, because the stone became soft and wax-like”. The highest peak of Mt. Sinai, 2,641 meters high, ~13~
was named Saint Catherine, and has been known over the centuries among the Arabs as Jebel Katerin. Saint Catherine’s shrine has been venerated by the West as well as the East. Her shrine became popularly known through the efforts of a learned monk, Simeon, who in 1027 traveled through Europe asking for donations for the preservation of the monastery. Simeon carried with him relics of Saint Catherine for veneration by the people. The monks who accompanied the crusaders returned to Europe with stories of this shrine. Saint Catherine’s fame spread to many distinct places. Many churches were dedicated in her name. One of the most famous is the 12th century church of Wisby in Scotland, consisting of 12 high octagonal columns. During the 12th century the Order of the Knights of Saint Catherine was founded to protect the monastery on Mt. Sinai and the faithful who fled there to escape the Arabs. Great devotion was directed to her during the Middle Age, notably in France during the Crusades. In Paris, in 1222, was founded the Brotherhood of Saint Catherine to care for the sick. The Philosophical School of Paris proclaimed her as the Patroness of philosophical studies and education. All over Europe the universities celebrated her name as Patroness of Letters, even after the Reformation. Frequently in religious dramas over the centuries Saint Catherine was presented as the ideal of virginity and wisdom. Her personality was the subject of literature and the object of art by well-known artists. St Catherine is called upon for relief and assistance during a difficult childbirth. Pilgrims to her monastery on Mt Sinai are given souvenir rings as a remembrance of their visit.