As I was reading the "Saints for today" on my iPhone (how spoiled am I??!) A few things began to creep into my tired brain. The first was a question. What if Herod was a ruling power and made this decree today, as in you see this on the front of google.com/news:
14,000 infants slain by Herod in Bethlehem
WorldNewsReport - J.T. Waller - 35 minutes ago
[+] Magi being guided by a star traveling to an unknown destination were held by Herod last Tuesday for questioning. Upon leaving they agreed to return to Herod and reveal the location of an infant King (according to Jewish prophesy). The magi have not been seen since. There has been no known statement issued from Herod's court as of this report. The scene here is unlike anything this reporter has ever seen. This is purely a tragedy of madness. Law enforcement agencies continue to search for the magi.
[+] Youtube.com - Coverage of Bethlehem
I truely can't imagine being a parent during this time. How difficult it would be to remain faithful and trust God. + Lord have mercy.
I can't remember what the second thing was... Probably wasn't important. May God have mercy. + Through the prayers of the 14,000 innocents and the most Holy Theotokos have mercy on us and save us!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
THE BEHEADING OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
Taken from http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html (Select August 29th)
1. THE BEHEADING OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST [ST. MATTHEW 14:1-12]
Herod Antipas, son of the elder Herod, who was the slayer of the children of Bethlehem at the time of the birth of the Lord Jesus, was ruler of Galilee at the time when John the Baptist was preaching. This Herod was married to the daughter of Aretas, an Arabian prince. But Herod, an evil sprout of an evil root, put away his lawful wife and unlawfully took unto himself Herodias as his concubine, the wife of his brother Philip, who was still living. John the Baptist stood up against this lawlessness and strongly denounced Herod who then cast John into prison. At the time of a banquet in his court in Sebastia in Galilee Salome, the daughter of Herodias and Philip, danced before the guests. The drunken Herod was so taken by this dance that he promised Salome that he would give her whatever she asked of him, even though it be half of his kingdom. Being persuaded by her mother, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist. Herod gave the order and John was beheaded in prison and his head brought to him on a platter. John's disciples took the body of their teacher by night and honorably buried it and Herodias pierced the tongue of John with a needle in many places and buried the head in an unclean place. What later happened to John the Baptist's head can be read on February 24. However, God's punishment quickly befell this group of evil doers. Prince Aretas, in order to cleanse his daughter's honor, attacked Herod with his army and defeated him. The defeated Herod was sentenced by the Roman Caesar, Caligula, to exile at first to Gaul and later to Spain. As exiles, Herod and Herodias lived in poverty and humiliation until the earth opened up and swallowed them. Salome died an evil death on the Sikaris (Sula) river. The death of St. John occurred before the Pascha [Passover] but its celebration on August 29 was established because, on that day, a church which had been built over his grave in Sebastia by Emperor Constantine and Empress Helena was consecrated. In this church the relics of John's disciples, Eliseus and Audius, were also placed.
REFLECTION
If you observe how men die, you would see that the death of a man usually resembles his sin. As it is written: "For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (St. Matthew 26:52). Every sin is a knife and men usually are slain by that sin which they most readily committed. An example of this is given to us by Salome, the foul daughter of Herodias who asked for and received from Herod the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Living in Spain in the town of Lerida [Loredo] with the exiled Herod and Herodias, Salome set out one day across the frozen river Sikaris. The ice broke and she fell into the water up to her neck. Icebergs squeezed around her neck and she wiggled, dancing with her feet in the water as she once danced at the court of Herod. However, she was unable either to raise herself up or to drown until a sharp piece of ice severed her head. The water carried her body away and her head was brought to Herodias on a platter as was the head of John the Baptist at one time. Behold how terrible a death resembles the sin committed.
1. THE BEHEADING OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST [ST. MATTHEW 14:1-12]
Herod Antipas, son of the elder Herod, who was the slayer of the children of Bethlehem at the time of the birth of the Lord Jesus, was ruler of Galilee at the time when John the Baptist was preaching. This Herod was married to the daughter of Aretas, an Arabian prince. But Herod, an evil sprout of an evil root, put away his lawful wife and unlawfully took unto himself Herodias as his concubine, the wife of his brother Philip, who was still living. John the Baptist stood up against this lawlessness and strongly denounced Herod who then cast John into prison. At the time of a banquet in his court in Sebastia in Galilee Salome, the daughter of Herodias and Philip, danced before the guests. The drunken Herod was so taken by this dance that he promised Salome that he would give her whatever she asked of him, even though it be half of his kingdom. Being persuaded by her mother, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist. Herod gave the order and John was beheaded in prison and his head brought to him on a platter. John's disciples took the body of their teacher by night and honorably buried it and Herodias pierced the tongue of John with a needle in many places and buried the head in an unclean place. What later happened to John the Baptist's head can be read on February 24. However, God's punishment quickly befell this group of evil doers. Prince Aretas, in order to cleanse his daughter's honor, attacked Herod with his army and defeated him. The defeated Herod was sentenced by the Roman Caesar, Caligula, to exile at first to Gaul and later to Spain. As exiles, Herod and Herodias lived in poverty and humiliation until the earth opened up and swallowed them. Salome died an evil death on the Sikaris (Sula) river. The death of St. John occurred before the Pascha [Passover] but its celebration on August 29 was established because, on that day, a church which had been built over his grave in Sebastia by Emperor Constantine and Empress Helena was consecrated. In this church the relics of John's disciples, Eliseus and Audius, were also placed.
REFLECTION
If you observe how men die, you would see that the death of a man usually resembles his sin. As it is written: "For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (St. Matthew 26:52). Every sin is a knife and men usually are slain by that sin which they most readily committed. An example of this is given to us by Salome, the foul daughter of Herodias who asked for and received from Herod the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Living in Spain in the town of Lerida [Loredo] with the exiled Herod and Herodias, Salome set out one day across the frozen river Sikaris. The ice broke and she fell into the water up to her neck. Icebergs squeezed around her neck and she wiggled, dancing with her feet in the water as she once danced at the court of Herod. However, she was unable either to raise herself up or to drown until a sharp piece of ice severed her head. The water carried her body away and her head was brought to Herodias on a platter as was the head of John the Baptist at one time. Behold how terrible a death resembles the sin committed.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Suffering and Encouragement
Lord have mercy on me a sinner.
Reading the The Prologue of Ohrid this morning and one of the Saints that we remember today is The Venerable John the Much-suffering. Here is what The Prologue had to say.
I remember when I first began seeking after Christ, my heart and mind full of zeal and my prayer the same night after night, day after day. Over time I felt as if God had abandoned me or ignored my prayers because he did not remove from me this thing which tormented me. I remember thinking, "God, if you would just remove this one thing from me I will be a better Christian." In my naivety I thought if I could just be free of this, my biggest struggle, I would be whole and could focus on being holy. The obvious flaw in my thinking is that I don't just have one struggle, I have many. Some are more prominent than others, but there are many.
How encouraging it is that the taking away of St.John's impure passions were removed from him not because he overcame them through perfection or by never giving in, but rather through ceaseless struggle.
Reading the The Prologue of Ohrid this morning and one of the Saints that we remember today is The Venerable John the Much-suffering. Here is what The Prologue had to say.
"John was a recluse in St.Anthony's Monastery of the Kiev Caves. For thirty years he was tormented by lustful passions, which he ceaselessly struggled against - until finally he conquered them with God's help, through touching the relics of St.Moses the Ugrian (remembered July 26th). Having conquered impure passions, St.John was infused with an inward heavenly light by which he could see at night as though it were day."
I remember when I first began seeking after Christ, my heart and mind full of zeal and my prayer the same night after night, day after day. Over time I felt as if God had abandoned me or ignored my prayers because he did not remove from me this thing which tormented me. I remember thinking, "God, if you would just remove this one thing from me I will be a better Christian." In my naivety I thought if I could just be free of this, my biggest struggle, I would be whole and could focus on being holy. The obvious flaw in my thinking is that I don't just have one struggle, I have many. Some are more prominent than others, but there are many.
How encouraging it is that the taking away of St.John's impure passions were removed from him not because he overcame them through perfection or by never giving in, but rather through ceaseless struggle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)