OUR HOLY MOTHER THEODORA September 11th

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

On the 11th of September Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
our Holy Mother THEODORA.

From Alexandria, she was the wife of a young man. Urged on by a fortune teller, she committed adultery with another man. Her conscience immediately began to trouble her, and she cut off her hair and dressed in men’s garb, then went off to the men’s monastery of Octodecatos under the man’s name of Theodore. Her labours, fasts, vigils, meekness and tearful repentance were a source of wonder to all the brethren. Slandered by some harlot, who said that Theodora had lain with her, she would onto let the truth be known, regarding it as a punishment from God for her former sin. Driven out of the monastery, she spent seven years wandering in the forests and deserts, caring for the harlot’s child. She overcame all the enemy’s assaults, refusing to worship Satan, to take food from the hand of a soldier or to heed her husband’s demand that she return to him–for all that was simply devilish illusion, and when Theodora made the sign of the Cross, it all vanished away like smoke. After seven years, the Egoumenos (Abbot) of the monastery received her back, and she lived there in asceticism a further two years and then entered into rest in the Lord. Only then did hte monks learn that she was a woman; an Angel appeared to the Egoumenos and explained everything to him. Her husband came to the funeral, and remained til his death in the cell of his former wife. Saint Theodora had very great grace from God: she tamed wild beasts, healed sickness and brought water to a dry well. Thus God glorified this true penitent, who with heroic endurance spent nine years repenting of one sin. She entered into rest in the year 490 A.D.

SAINT PAPHNUTIUS THE CONFESSOR

A bishop in the Egyptian Thebaid, he suffered greatly for the Orthodox faith: heretics put out one of his eyes and broke his left leg. He took part in the First Ecumenical Synod, refuting the Arian heresy with great power. The Emperor Constantine valued him greatly, and often kissed him on the missing eye, lost for the truth of Orthodoxy. At the Synod, he stood in opposition to the Western [Latin] representatives, who proposed that priests be completely forbidden to marry. He was chaste throughout his whole life.

OUR HOLY FATHER EPHROSYNOS THE COOK

A simple man and man of God, he served as cook in a certain monastery in the 9th century. The spiritual father of this monastery dreamed one night that he was in Paradise, and there saw Ephrosynos, who chose for him three apples of Paradise. When he awoke, he saw these three lovely and fragrant apples on his pillow. He quickly found Ephrosynos and asked him: ‘Where were you last night, brother? Where you were, Father’, the blessed man of God replied. The spiritual father then revealed the whole affair to the monks, and all knew of the holiness and godliness of Ephrosynos. But he, fearing the praise of men, immediately fled from the monastery and hid himself in the desert, where he spent the rest of his life.

THE HOLY MARTY IA

Denounced by an idolatrous priest, she suffered for the Lord in Persia in the time of Sapor II, in 363 A.D. According to tradition, the sun was darkened at the time of her death, and the whole air was filled with wonderful fragrance. She is glorified forever by the Lord.

THE HOLY MARTYRS DIODORE, DIDYMUS AND DIOMEDES

They were flogged for Christ’s sake in Laodicea, and gave their souls into the hands of their Lord.

HOMILY

"I am the Bread of Life" [John 6:35]

Who can give life, my brethren, save He Who created it? Who can in truth be the Bread of Life save our Creator? He created, He sustains, He feeds and He gives life. If wheat feeds the body, Christ feeds the soul. If our earthly body is sustained by bread, our soul is fed and given life by Christ. If our souls If our soul is fed by some other food than Christ, it rots and dies. ‘Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto Eternal Life" [John 6:27]. So says the Lord by way of introduction. First look into man’s hunger, then offer bread; indeed, first offer hunger and then bread for men are confused with regard to hunger. They are hungry for something, but do not know for what. Being filled with earthly bread, and even satiated, they still feel an insatiable hunger. Although they see that the whole earth, and all the bread there is, cannot satisfy this mysterious hunger, they hasten for earthly food; they strive for the earth and the earth alone. However, the REAL HUNGER OF MEN IS HUNGER FOR HEAVEN, FOR ETERNAL LIFE, FOR GOD. The Lord Jesus first underlines this hunger and then prepares a table for its satisfying. This Table is He Himself. "I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE; HE THAT COMETH TO ME SHALL NEVER HUNGER." He will be filled, amde joyful, enlivened, coming to know both God and himself. Oh, my brethren, he will rise from the dead! Constant feeding on the bread that perishes, without immortal, divine food, kills the soul little by little and leaves it in the end completely dead. Of what? Of hunger. The body is of the earth, andis content with earthly food, but THE SOUL IS OF THE BREATH OF THE FOUNT OF LIFE HIMSELF, and SO SEEKS FOOD AND DRINK A ITS ONE Fount.

O Lord Jesus, Thou Bread of Eternal, of LIFE that is true and not subject to change. Thou most sweet Bread, nourish us with Thyself! To Thee be glory and praise for ever. Amen. [The Prologue from Ochrid]

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George