Science

Saint Nicetas, Confessor and Bishop of Chalcedon Whom We Comemorate Today

In his youth, he renounced the world and withdrew to a life of monastic asceticism. Shining like the sun with virtues, he was noticed by the elders of the Church and was elevated to the episcopal throne of Chalcedon. As a bishop, he was especially merciful toward the less fortunate, and he greatly concerned himself with the welfare of orphans, widows and the poor. When the evil Leo the Armenian rose up against the icons, Nicetas courageously stood up in their defense, denouncing the emperor and explaining their meaning. Consequently, he endured great humiliation, calumny and imprisonment. He was finally banished into exile for his confession of Faith, and in labors and sufferings presented himself to the Lord to receive a wreath of glory in the Kingdom of God.

Sola Scriptura

Most Evangelical Protestants do not have a great love for Latin (people of my vintage can remember when Latin was inevitably associated in Evangelical minds with the horrible benighted Catholics, who used Latin as their liturgical language), but there are two Latin words very close to their hearts: “sola Scriptura”, which is Latin for “Scripture alone”. Those dipping a little into Reformation history will recall that it shared the stage with a few other Latin slogans, such as “sola fide” (faith alone), “sola gratia” (grace alone), and “solus Christus” (Christ alone). The words formed something like a banner, a code for the entire Reformed package—and sometimes a war-cry shouted when going into ideological battle.

Saint of the Day: Third Finding of the Head of John the Baptist

Third Finding of the Head of Saint John the Baptist

There are not enough days in the calendar year to set aside one for every religious commemoration. But of the 365 days of the solar year allowed us, each could bear some mention of the great St. John the Baptist without wearing thin the reputation of this mighty figure of Christianity. Referred to as the prefiguration of Jesus Christ, he is remembered on more than one occasion even though it is in seemingly grisly reference to the head that was severed from his body to grant a favor by a callous monarch to a scatterbrained girl.

The eminent St. John the Baptist is commemorated by the Greek Orthodox Church in five different observances as follows: (1) the Conception of St. John the Baptist on September 23, (2) the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24, (3) the official Feast Day of St. John the Baptist on January 7, (4) the First and Second Findings of the Relics of St. John on February 24, and (5) the Third Finding of the Relics of St. John on May 25. It is only fitting that St. John, the forerunner of the Savior for whom he prepared the way, be given at least these five commemorative days, if only for the fact that Jesus Himself said of him in the Gospel of St. Luke (7:25-28): “Behold, they which are gorgeously appareled and live delicately in the king’s court. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written. Behold, I send my messenger before thy face which shall prepare the way before thee. For I say unto you, among those who are born unto woman, there is no greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he...”

How to Properly Prepare for the Apostles Fast, and Whether a Modern Person Needs to Fast

In this brief interview, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine speaks on fasting, modern man, and role models.

—Your Beatitude, Pentecost ends the Paschal cycle. We start counting anew from this week. How does this period differ from the other cycles of the year?

—The holy Church was born on Pentecost, and after the feast it began to actively work and preach; similarly, after Pentecost, a new enumeration of every following Sunday begins in the Church’s liturgical year, in which are recalled, besides the mystery of the Resurrection, notable Gospel events or events from Christian history. For example, on the first Sunday, the Synaxis of All Saints is remembered, and on the second, All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land, and so on.

Serbian Church canonizes three martyrs

At its latest session, from April 28 to May 10, the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church resolved to canonize three holy martyrs among the saints, reports The Union of Orthodox Journalists.

The Synaxarion

On the fifth Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the feast of the Samaritan Woman, the Holy Great Martyr George, the Holy New Martyr Lazarus

Verses

Coming to obtain corruptible water, O woman,Thou drawest living water, wherewith thy soul’s stains thou washest.The Samaritan woman—the holy and glorious Great-martyr Photeini—met Jesus at midday at Jacob’s Well, whichwas located in the city of Sychar. And being tired from travel and the heat, Jesus sat at Jacob’s Well. A little after,the Samaritan woman came to draw water, and had a long conversation with Him (it is the longest recordeddiscourse between Christ and a single person in the entire Bible). Photeini did not want to talk to Jesus, because theSamaritans did not have any dealings with Jews; Jews considered her people heretics because Samaritans kept onlythe first five books of the Old Testament. However, the Lord talked with her anyway, read her heart, revealed hersecrets and gave her to drink of the “Living Water”—the grace of the Holy Spirit that leads to eternal life and flowsto all humanity. Photeini immediately ran throughout the city to proclaim Christ. Through her, many other Samaritans believed in Jesus.