Homily on the 16th Sunday after Pentecost The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving-Cross.
Troparion
O Lord, save Your people, / and bless Your inheritance. / Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians / over our enemies. / And protect Thy people by Thy Precious and Life-Giving-Cross
Kontakion
As You were voluntarily raised upon the cross for our sake, / grant mercy to those who are called by Your Name, O Christ God; / make all Orthodox Christians glad by Your power, / granting them victories over their adversaries, / by bestowing on them the Invincible trophy, Your weapon of Peace.
On Friday I received an email that broke my heart and made me rather angry of something that occurred in a Roman Catholic Church in Sicily.
Wednesday evening in the Church of St. Agatha ‘al Collegio’ located in Caltanissetta Sicily, two young men broke in beginning to vandalize and commit evil acts of desecration against the Church; opening the tabernacle, stealing the reserved sacrament of the Roman faithful. The two men thus proceeded to desecrate an image of the Virgin Mary and dismembering an effigy (manikin/statue) of St. Agatha of Sicily in which contained fragments of her relics.
Hence, I am truly heartbroken for the faithful who have had to undergo such a horrific experience to what they believe to be the true presence of Jesus in the sacrament of Holy communion; despite the fact predominately Eastern Orthodox have issues regarding the validity of Churches outside its fold!
Having stated thus, there are also several personal reasons as to why this story has struck a chord in my heart. The first one being that Saint Agatha lived in the years (231-251) making her an Orthodox Saint! Secondly, she was from the town of Palermo in Sicily on the other side of the island in which reside my family members.
St Agatha was born into a wealthy family and was known for her great beauty and lived in her years in the reign of the emperor Decius. When Decius heard of St Agatha and her beauty, he sent his soldiers to bring her to him so he could have his way with her.
After her capture, constantly denning to give into sexual acts with the emperor, she was placed with a lady of the night (prostitute) in order for her to persuade the Saint to renounce Christ and give in to the passions of the flesh. However, anchoring onto Christ, firm in her faith she did not keep her eyes off of her Saviour (Jesus) desiring to be put to death in order to be with her Lord and escape the emperor.
Later in prison, the Apostle Peter appeared to her; comforting her and reassuring her that she would be with God soon. The emperor filled with demonic rage, order that her breasts be severed from her body and that she be dragged through the streets by her ankles tied to a horse and cart. Thus, after losing a significant amount of blood the Saint commended her soul to God - took her last breath and came to rest in Jesus our Lord.
Hence, throughout many years the Church of Rome has attempted to eradicate some of the early Christian Martyrs and Saints, purely to try and detach themselves as far as possible from Eastern Christianity. However, at such attempts, many Roman faithful having a strong devotion to a particular saint would rebel in the sense of believing that everything they have been taught was a lie; leaving the Roman Church and joining such groups as Jehovah's witness and other protestant sects which have false, demonic doctrines – in which thrive on the enslavement of its members; brainwashing them, thus separating people from the truth who is Jesus the vine! A deluded and perverted for of religion rotten to their very core!
Several months ago, through divine intervention, I came across an article online of a Russian soldier who was killed for professing Christ. Furthermore, the orthodox Church present in Russia has not recognized him as a Martyr.
Thus, Yevgeny (Eugene) Aleksandrovich Rodionov was to two atheist parents. As a young child his grandmother gave him a necklace with our crucified Lord on it, which he wore with great pride. His mother warned him countless times to remove due to Russia being controlled by communism, however the more she insisted the more he would wear it with pride.
Thereafter, at the age of eighteen he was enlisted into the armed forces but before so, he brought himself to his local church and was baptized into the orthodox faith.
Hence, one day whilst he and three other soldiers were guarding the post they were stationed at, Muslim extremists disguised as paramedics captured the four soldiers and held them in a small house where they were starved and beaten to a pulp.
Therefore, there were several times in which the Muslim extremists told them if the just converted to radical Islam their lives would be spared. Two soldiers out of fear of losing their lives converted, however, Eugene and the other solder refused.
Many times, they would attempt to persuade Eugene to remove the Cross from his neck, however each time he refused. The Muslim extremists demanded their families for random but were unable to meet their unrealistic expectations. Thus, they offered Eugene one last time to remove the cross and convert to radicle Islam but her refused. Therefore, at the denial of their request the beheaded Eugene and he fell asleep in the Lord on the23 May 1977.
Having stated thus, several weeks ago I personally logged a formal request to the Archbishop and Vicar General to have this great man canonized into the Church as a Martyr of God! I ask for your prayers in making this a reality. For anyone who sheds their blood in the All Holy name of Jesus Christ is worthy (AXIOS) to be canonized as a Saint/Martyred of Holy Mother Church; for through their blood, the Church is renewed and strengthened! Thus, through their (Saints/Marty's) faith in professing the Resurrected Christ via the glorification of His Glorious Cross; we the faithful find our Glory, Story and song in Him who is the edifice of His Church and cornerstone of our existence!
Therefore, we the Church have taken an extraordinary hit due to covid. Many of us have been unable to attended services and some people are being persecuted in countries where majority are orthodox. I recently read a story of a priest in Greece who has been arrested for breaching covid restrictions. The priest was sentenced to prison for nine-months for what the media say, Inciting disobedience against covid19 restrictions”.
Hence, the priest was blessing a newly built kinder-garden when officials instructed him to wear a face mask at which the priests refused. At thus the police arrested him and brought him before a judicial court for trail. Hence, the court found the priest guilty of Inciting disobedience against covid19 restrictions and was sent to jail for nine months. So much for the “Champions of Orthodoxy in a country where 90% of its citizens are orthodox!
However, we mustn't forget what Jesus foretold regarding us (Orthodox Christians) - You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Mt10:22 and in the Gospel of John where it is written - “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. Jn15:18
Thus, all these Holy people mentioned along with the entirety of the communion of Saints/Martyrs are the perfect example of love - “Love one another as I have loved you” Jn13:34 not what the religious madmen do as is stated in the book of Psalms - “they bless with their mouth, but they curse within their hearts” Psalm62:4
Often time, such Christians talk the talk, however when it comes time to walk the walk they exclude, repel, seclude and persecute people who do not match their own invented criteria that people in general should meet! These “rubbish Christians” to put it in an appropriate way are not Christians at all! The real Christians are the ones who give wholeheartedly of themselves without reservation; placing no one in any forms of categories but treating all equally just as the All Holy Trinity loves us equally!
In addition, true Christians and Holy in people in general never let on in other words “do not create a fuss in matters of faith and the practicing of it!
As my journey of the Deaconate draws to a close and I look towards the office of priesthood the element of service does not change rather it goes beyond in the sense of totally giving one's self of the sake of other!
The following is read by the Bishop when a newly ordained presbyter receives his pectoral cross which he (the presbyter) will wear as a sign of his ministry.
“If you truly want to follow me - this then means that you will taste the pain of crucifixion because you will feel isolation, you will feel the pressure of many concerns as the weight of its wood, and you may ultimately follow me in the footsteps of martyrdom!” (Mk 8: 34)
Through the prayers of the Holy Theotokos whose birth we commemorated of Monday, May Her son our Lord Jesus Christ our God Have Mercy on us!
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