Brotherhood of Saint John the Wonderworker

Texas ROCOR parish makes 15 more catechumens, bringing total to 90 https://orthochristian.com/180052.html Holy Mother of God Church in Georgetown continues to grow as Orthodoxy explodes across the country.

"The thief who received the kingdom of heaven, though not as the reward of virtue, is a true witness to the fact that salvation is ours through the grace and mercy of God. All of our holy fathers knew this and all with one accord teach that perfection in holiness can be achieved only through humility. Humility, in its turn, can be achieved only through faith, fear of God, gentleness..." + St John Cassian

"Only someone lacking life experience can fail to see the aggressiveness of evil, its natural tendency to expand, its obsession, its compelling power, and imagine that the forces of evil can and should be overcome by the absence of obstacles, by patient submission, and by the sacrificial abandonment of all that is sacred, of all human souls, and of all culture." — Ivan Ilyin, On Resisting Evil by Force (1925)

Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the Third Ecumenical Council The Third Ecumenical Council was convened in the year 431 in the city of Ephesus (Asia Minor) during the reign of the emperor Theodosius the Younger (408-450). The Council was convened to investigate without further delay, the false teachings of Patriarch Nestorius of Constantinople (428-431). Contrary to the dogmas of the Ecumenical Church, Nestorius dared to assert that the Son of God Jesus Christ is not one Person (Hypostasis), as Holy Church teaches, but is rather two distinct persons, one Divine, and the other human. Regarding the Most Holy Theotokos, he impiously asserted that She should not be called the Mother of God, but rather only the mother of the man Christ. The heresy of Nestorius is opposed to one of the basic dogmas of the Christian Faith: our Lord Jesus Christ’s divine and human natures. According to the false teaching of Nestorius, Jesus Christ was born as an ordinary man, and afterwards because of His sanctity of life, He was somehow joined to the Godhead. With this blasphemous teaching of Nestorius the Enemy of the race of man, the devil, attempted to undermine the Christian Faith on these points: that the Pre-eternal God the Word, the Son of God, actually was incarnate in the flesh of the All-Pure Theotokos. Having become Man, He thereby redeemed the human race from slavery to sin and death by His own suffering and death, and by His glorious Resurrection He trampled down Hades and death and opened the path to the Kingdom of Heaven to those who believed in Him, and to those striving to live according to His commandments. A long while before the convening of the Ecumenical Council, Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, repeatedly tried to reason with the heretic Nestorius. Saint Cyril in his letters explained the mistakes of judgment by Nestorius, but Nestorius stubbornly continued with his teachings. Saint Cyril wrote about the danger of the rising heresy to Celestine, the Pope of Rome, and to other Orthodox bishops, who also attempted to reason with Nestorius. When it became clear that Nestorius would continue with his teachings and that they were becoming widespread, the Orthodox bishops appealed to the emperor Theodosius the Younger for permission to convene an Ecumenical Council. The Council was convened on the day of the Most Holy Trinity, June 7, 431. Two hundred bishops attended the Council. Nestorius also arrived in Ephesus, but he did not appear at the Council even though the Fathers suggested three times that he attend the sessions. Then the Fathers began to discuss the heresy in the absence of the heretic. The sessions of the Council continued from June 22 to August 31. At the Council of Ephesus were present such famous Fathers of the Church as Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Juvenal of Jerusalem, Memnon of Ephesus (Saint Celestine, Pope of Rome, was unable to attend because of illness, but he sent papal legates). The Third Ecumenical Council condemned the heresy of Nestorius and confirmed the Orthodox teaching on these matters: that it is necessary to confess the Lord Jesus Christ as One Person (Hypostasis) in two natures, the Divine and the Human, and that the All-Pure Mother of the Lord be acclaimed as Ever-Virgin and truly the Theotokos. In the guidance of the Church the holy Fathers issued eight Canons, and the “Twelve Anathemas against Nestorius” by Saint Cyril of Alexandria.

A Narration on Love Beneficial To All - Saint Nikitas the Chartolarios Saint Niketas the Hidden lived in Constantinople and occupied the position of "chartolarios" ("keeper of records"). They call him "the Hidden," because living in the world amid the bustle of the city, with secret exploits of faith, he attained spiritual perfection and was a great saint of God. His saintly life was revealed through unusual circumstances. Two friends, a certain priest and the deacon Sozon, had quarreled. The priest died, and the deacon grieved that they had not been able to be reconciled. He told an experienced Elder of the sin that tormented his conscience. He gave Sozon a letter and ordered him to give it to the first person whom he would meet at midnight at the temple of Hagia Sophia, the Wisdom of God. St. Niketas the Chartolarian appeared before him. Having read the letter, he began weeping and said that it made him responsible for this, and that it was beyond his strength, but with the prayers of the Elder who had sent Sozon, he would strive to accomplish this. Making a prostration before the church doors, St. Niketas said: "Lord, open to us the doors of Thy mercy,"and the doors of the temple flew open by themselves. Leaving the deacon at the threshold, St. Niketas began to pray, and Sozon saw that he shone with a strange light. Afterwards they went from the church, and the doors again closed. Approaching the church of the Blachernae Mother of God, St. Niketas again began praying and again the doors opened in front of them. In the church there shone a light, and from the altar came two rows of priests, among whom Deacon Sozon recognized his dead friend. St. Niketas quietly said: "Father, speak to your brother, and cease the enmity between you." Immediately the priest and Deacon Sozon greeted each other. They embraced one another with love and were reconciled. The priest went back, and the doors closed by themselves. St. Niketas said to the deacon: "Brother Sozon, save your soul both for your sake, and for my benefit. To the Father who sent you, say that the purity of his holy prayers and his trust in God made possible the return of the dead." After these words St. Niketas became invisible to Sozon. Having returned to his spiritual Father and Elder, the deacon thanked him with tears, that through his prayers, the great hidden Saint of God Niketas the Chartolarioshad removed the sin from both the living and the dead.

His fervent love for the Theotokos, which is a characteristic of all virtuous Athonites, sealed his life. Saint Daniel was undoubtedly through his words and works an enlightened, discerning, wise guide, "full of the Holy Spirit." May his prayers accompany us.

Saint Daniel of Katounakia (+1929) Saint Daniel of Smyrna was a sacred offshoot and fragrant flower from the martyric land of Ionia. His fragrance brought delight to many, when he was transplanted to the Garden of the Panagia, and the fruits of his virtues as well. The son of most-devout parents, he studied Holy Scripture and the Philokalia, and graduated with excellence from the Evangelical School of Smyrna. After venerating monasteries and churches in the Peloponnese and the islands of the Aegean, and at the urging of Venerable Arsenios (1800-1877) in Paros, he entered the Athonite Monastery of Saint Panteleimon. His period of testing was characterized by his constant and willing obedience. At his tonsuring his name was changed from Demetrios to Daniel. Soon he was recognized for his skills and he was made secretary of the monastery, which then had 250 monks. Due to the differences between the Greeks and the Russians he accepted exile which saddened and grieved him. For six months he was given hospitality at the Monastery of Saint Anastasia in Vasilika of Halkidiki, where he became a source of benefit to the fathers there. Then for five years he lived in the Monastery of Vatopaidi, where he was healed of a severe illness by the Panagia. He very much loved the Panagia throughout his life. Finally, he went to all-delightful Katounakia. There he founded the Hesychasterion of the Venerable Athonite Fathers. After a few years he gathered a small brotherhood. He guided them with the Philokalia, which he constantly studied and memorized. His virtue combined with his wisdom, his prayer and his humility, and his study and experience helped him to identify fallacies, to correct those who were in the error of delusion, to heal the demon-stricken, and return to the path of the Holy Fathers those supporters of Makrakis who believed in the tripartite composition of man. Monks with severe temptations were significantly helped by him and they were grateful. Sick, depressed, mournful, frustrated and troubled people found solace and hope in his words and letters. He himself even left his hesychasterion for the sake of the reconciliation of the brethren. His letters to monks, nuns, clergy of all degrees, teachers and people with various difficulties are rich. He had a spiritual connection with the author Alexandros Moraitides, later known as Monk Andronikos, who described him as "not a multipurpose and multicolored tyrant, but a much-wearied monk," who offered as dessert "words distilling heavenly sweetness." He also said: "When I came to the Holy Mountain I thought I touched God, but when I met Elder Daniel then I realized how far God was from me." Saint Daniel had an important acquaintance, friendship and correspondence with Saint Nektarios (1846-1920). The Saint wrote to him humbly about his nuns: "This letter, dictated by praxis and theoria, is for them, being deprived of such a living teaching, a spiritual delight and true spiritual support." In addition to his many letters, a fruit of his wisdom is the around seventy works of his on serious spiritual matters, especially of an anti-heretical and spiritual construction. For fifty years in Katounakia with his words, writings and paintbrush he created a famous house of virtue, iconography, writing, music and hospitality. His door was always open for everyone to find rest. He became a physician, a guide, a liberator of those people who suffer, who are in error, who are troubled, who are distressed. He did not tire to keep vigil all night and write letters and studies to support and enlighten his beloved brethren. The greatest happiness of his life was when he departed the earth on the day of the Nativity of his beloved Theotokos. After divine Communion and sacred Unction, joy was vividly painted on his face.

Holy Prophet Zachariah and Righteous Elizabeth, parents of Saint John the Baptist The Holy Prophet Zachariah and the Righteous Elizabeth were the parents of the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John. They were descended from the lineage of Aaron: Saint Zachariah, son of Barach, was a priest in the Jerusalem Temple, and Saint Elizabeth was the sister of Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos. The righteous spouses, “walking in all the commandments of the Lord (Luke 1:6), suffered barrenness, which in those times was considered a punishment from God. Once, during his turn of priestly service in the Temple, Saint Zachariah was told by an angel that his aged wife would bear him a son, who “will be great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15) and “will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias” (Luke 1:17). Zachariah doubted that this prediction would come true, and for his weakness of faith he was punished by becoming mute. When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit she announced that his name was John, although no one in their family had this name. They asked Zachariah and he also wrote the name John down on a tablet. Immediately the gift of speech returned to him, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, he began to prophesy about his son as the Forerunner of the Lord. When King Herod heard from the Magi about the birth of the Messiah, he decided to kill all the infants up to two years old at Bethlehem and the surrounding area, hoping that the new-born Messiah would be among them. Herod knew about John’s unusual birth and he wanted to kill him, fearing that he was the foretold King of the Jews. But Elizabeth hid herself and the infant in the hills. The murderers searched everywhere for John. Elizabeth, when she saw her pursuers, began to implore God for their safety, and immediately the hill opened up and concealed her and the infant from their pursuers. In these tragic days Saint Zachariah was taking his turn at the services in the Temple. Soldiers sent by Herod tried in vain to learn from him the whereabouts of his son. Then, by command of Herod, they murdered this holy prophet, having stabbed him between the temple and the altar (MT 23: 35). Elizabeth died forty days after her husband, and Saint John, preserved by the Lord, dwelt in the wilderness until the day of his appearance to the nation of Israel. On the Greek calendar, Saints Zachariah and Elizabeth are also commemorated on June 24, the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.

"Brave people are rare in our times. People today are lukewarm. That's why if, God forbid, a war breaks out, some will die out of fear, others will fall on the street from some minor hardship because they are so used to comforts. In the past, people were so brave! In the Monastery of the Flavians in Asia Minor, the Turks had captured a man and slaughtered him. Then they told his wife, 'Either deny Christ or we will kill your children, too.' And she replied, 'My husband is now with Christ, and my children I entrust to Christ, and I will not renounce Christ.' What bravery! If Christ is not in us, how can there be such bravery? Today, people without Christ are building their homes on rubble." St. Paisios the Athonite Spiritual Awakening (p. 244)

“The aim of exercise is not to produce athletes for the games, but, rather, perfectly formed men capable of any undertaking, for it is well-known that exercise by means of habit renders one more ready for struggles, and more industrious through a familiarity with hard work.” Saint Nektarios of Aegina

The New Martyr Nikolai Varzhansky: “I Am Departing for Eternity, without a Doubt” https://orthochristian.com/179947.html Natalia Vashchina Very often, those who opposed sectarianism in the Russian Empire stood up to defend the Mother Church against the encroachments of the so-called Living Church followers (Renovationists) after the collapse of the great country.