Friday, 13 December 2024

Repose Ven. Herman of Alaska, Wonderworker of All America

Friday of the 25th week after Pentecost

222 days after Pascha · Tone 7 · Red cross half-circle (vigil typikon symbol) · Nativity Fast (Fish, Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

★ Holy Five Martyrs of Sebaste: Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius and Orestes

“These five courageous men shone like five resplendent stars in the dark days of the anti-Christian Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. St Eustratius was a Roman general in the city of Satalios, Eugene was one of his comrades in arms and Orestes likewise a respected soldier. Auxentius was a priest and Mardarius a simple citizen who came, like Eustratius, from the town of Aravraca. The imperial governors, Lysias and Agricola, tortured Auxentius first as he was a priest. Beholding the innocent suffering of the Christians, Eustratius presented himself before Lycias and declared that he also was a Christian. While Eustratius was being tortured, Eugene stood up before the judge and cried out: ‘I am a Christian too, Lycias!’ When they were driving Eustratius and the other martyrs through the town, Mardarius saw them from the roof of his house, and he took leave of his wife and two frail daughters and hastened after them, shouting into the faces of their tormentors: ‘I am a Christian too, like the Lord Eustratius!’ Orestes was a young and handsome soldier, who stood head and shoulders above all the other soldiers. One day, when he was at target practice in Lycias’s presence, the Cross he was wearing fell from his breast, and Lycias realised that he was a Christian. Orestes openly confessed his faith, and was martyred with the others. Auxentius was beheaded, Eugene and Mardarius died under torture, Orestes was exposed on a red-hot iron grid and Eustratius died in a flaming furnace. St Blaise (see Feb. 11th) gave Communion to St Eustratius in prison before his death. Their relics were later taken to Constantinople, and are preserved in the church dedicated to them — The Holy Five Companions. They were seen alive in that church, and St Orestes appeared to St Dimitri of Rostov (see Oct. 28th). A beautiful prayer by St Eustratius is extant, which is read at the Midnight Service on Saturdays: ‘I glorify Thy majesty, 0 Lord for Thou hast regarded my lowliness and hast not shut me up in the hands of my enemies, but hast saved my soul from want…’. ” (Prologue)

★ St Herman, Wonderworker of Alaska First Martyrs of America Juvenaly and Peter the Aleut

1815

St Herman, for many the Patron of North America, was born near Moscow around 1756 to a pious merchant family, and entered monastic life at the age of sixteen, at the Trinity - St Sergius Lavra near St Petersburg. While there he was attacked by a cancer of the face, but the Mother of God appeared to him and healed him completely. He was tonsured a monk in 1783 with the name of Herman (a form of Germanos), and was received into Valaam Monastery on Lake Ladoga. After some time, he was allowed to withdraw to the life of a hermit in the forest, and only came to the monastery for feast days. In 1793, in response to a request by the Russian-American Commercial Company for missionaries to Alaska, Valaam Monastery was told to select a company of its best monks to travel to America. Eight were chosen, of whom the hermit Herman was one. The company crossed all of Siberia and , almost a year later, first saw Kodiak Island in September 1794. The missionaries set about their work, and found the native Aleut people so receptive to the Gospel of Christ that in the first year about 7,000 were baptized and 1,500 marriages performed. Despite severe hardships, the missionaries covered huge distances, on foot and in small boats, to reach the scattered fishing settlements of the Aleuts. In general they found a warm reception, but many of the pagan shamans opposed their message and sometimes stirred up the people against them. It was thus that the Priest-monk Juvenaly was killed in 1796, becoming the First Martyr of North America. Despite such opposition, the missionaries’ major difficulty was with the Russian traders and settlers, who were in the habit of exploiting the Aleuts as they wished, and who had oppressed and disgusted the native people with their immoral behavior. When the missionaries came to the defense of the natives, they were repaid with the opposition of the Russian-American company, whose leadership put countless obstacles in the path of their work. In time, several of the company died at sea, and several more abandoned the mission in discouragement, leaving the monk Herman alone. He settled on Spruce Island near Kodiak, and once again took up the hermit’s life, dwelling in a small cabin in the forest. He spent his days in prayer and mission work, and denied himself every fleshly comfort: he fasted often and lived on a diet of blackberries, mushrooms and vegetables (in Alaska!!). Despite these privations, he founded an orphanage and a school for the natives of the island, cared for the sick in epidemics, and built a chapel where he conducted divine services attended by many. (He was not a priest, but God made up the lack in miraculous ways: at Theophany, Angels descended to bless the waters of the bay, and the Saint would use the holy water to heal the sick). Asked if he was ever lonely or dejected in his solitude, and replied: “I am not alone; God is here as everywhere, and the Angels too. There is no better company.” Saint Herman reposed in peace on Spruce island, at the age of eighty-one, in 1836. At the moment of his departure, his face was radiant with light, and the inhabitants nearby saw a pillar of light rising above his hermitage. His last wish was to be buried on Spruce Island. When some of his well-intended disciples attempted to take his relics back to Kodiak to be buried from the church there, a storm rose up and continued unabated until they had abandoned the plan and buried him as he desired. He was officially glorified in 1970, the first canonized American Saint. Saint Peter was a young Aleut convert to the Orthodox faith. In 1812 the Russian- American Company set up a post in California, where Russians and Aleuts farmed and traded to supply the needs of the Alaskans; Peter was one of these. The Spanish, who at the time ruled California, suspected the Russians of territorial ambitions, and in 1815 captured about twenty Orthodox Aleuts and took them to San Francisco. Fourteen of these were put to torture in an effort to convert them to the Roman Catholic faith. All refused to compromise their faith, and Peter and a companion were singled out for especially vicious treatment: Peter’s fingers, then hands and feet, were severed, and he died from loss of blood, still firm in his confession. The Latins were preparing the same fate for the others when word came that they were to be transferred; eventually they returned to Alaska. When he heard a first-hand account of Peter’s martyrdom, Saint Herman crossed himself and said “Holy New Martyr Peter, pray to God for us!” Saint Peter the Aleut is the first recognized Saint of American birth. St Herman appears several times on the Church’s calendar. The Synaxis of St Herman and the American Protomartyrs is celebrated today. St Herman is commemorated on November 15, the day of his repose; but (partly because pilgrimage to Alaska is so difficult in the winter) the day of his glorification, July 27 / August 9 is kept there as his primary feast day. Following is a fragment of a conversation between St Herman and some officers of a Russian ship, recorded by his disciple Yanovsky; it includes perhaps the most familiar quotation from St Herman. “But do you love God?” asked the Elder. And all answered: “Of course we love God. How can we not love God?” “And I, a sinner, have tried to love God for more than forty years, and I cannot say that I perfectly love Him,” answered Father Herman, and began to explain how one must love God. “If we love someone,” he said, “then we always think of that one, we strive to please that one; day and night our heart is preoccupied with that object. Is it in this way, gentlemen, that you love God? Do you often turn to Him, do you always remember Him, do you always pray to Him and fulfill His Holy commandments?” We had to admit that we did not. “For our good, for our happiness,” concluded the Elder, “at least let us give a vow to ourselves, that from this day, from this hour, from this minute, we shall strive above all else to love God and to do His Holy Will!” Saint Herman is also commemorated on December 12.

Holy Hieromartyr Gabriel I, Patriarch of Serbia

Saint Gabriel Rajic was elected Patriarch of Pec in 1648 during the long centuries of Ottoman rule over the Serbian lands. Distinguished for his piety, learning and unbending defence of the Orthodox flock, he travelled in 1654 to Russia to seek aid for the suffering Church and was received by the tsar at Moscow. While in Russia he attended the council of 1655 and signed its acts. On his return through Wallachia and the Ottoman territories he was denounced to the Sultan as having gone to Russia without permission. Brought to Brusa (Bursa) he was offered freedom and high honour if he would deny Christ and accept Islam. Refusing utterly, he was tortured and at last hanged in 1659, sealing his patriarchal ministry with the crown of martyrdom. His memory is kept in the Serbian Church on this day among the holy hierarchs and martyrs.

Holy Virgin Martyr Lucy of Syracuse

Saint Lucy was born about 283 at Syracuse in Sicily of noble and Christian parents, and from her youth was given to fervent prayer. After the death of her father she lived with her mother Eutychia, who suffered from a long flow of blood. The two travelled to Catania to venerate the relics of Saint Agatha, where Lucy received in a dream a vision of Saint Agatha promising her mother's healing and foretelling Lucy's own martyrdom. Returning to Syracuse Eutychia, restored to health, consented to her daughter's wish to remain a virgin and to distribute her dowry to the poor. The young man to whom Lucy had been betrothed, learning that she had given away her wealth, denounced her as a Christian to the prefect Paschasius during the persecution of Diocletian. Brought before the judge she confessed Christ boldly. Sentenced first to be defiled in a brothel, she was held immovable by the power of God so that no team of oxen could drag her thence; ordered to be burned with pitch and oil, she was preserved unharmed by the flames; finally she was put to death by a sword thrust to the throat in 304. According to a later tradition her eyes were either gouged out by her persecutors or removed by herself to discourage a suitor and miraculously restored, on account of which she is invoked by those with eye disease and by the blind. Her relics rest at Venice, and her name is borne in the canon of the Roman mass; she is venerated throughout East and West.

Saint Aurelius

Saint Aurelius is commemorated in the Orthodox synaxaria on this day among the holy ones of Armenia. The synaxaria preserve only a brief notice of his life, recording that he confessed Christ in the early centuries of the Church and persevered in the Faith amid trials, and is associated by the calendars with the company of Saint Eustratius and his fellows of Sebaste. His name appears in the Greek and Slavic menaia for 13 December as one of the saints whose memory adorns this day, together with the five martyrs of Sebaste and the holy virgin martyr Lucy. Particulars of his life have been lost, but the Church preserves his name in honour of his witness and includes him in the prayers offered on this day.

Daily readings

Vespers

Wisdom of Solomon — Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9

¹But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.

²In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,

³And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.

⁴For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.

⁵And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.

⁶As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.

⁷And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.

⁸They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.

⁹They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.

Vespers

Wisdom of Solomon — Wisdom of Solomon 5.15-6.3

¹⁵But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High.

¹⁶Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them.

¹⁷He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armour, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies.

¹⁸He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet.

¹⁹He shall take holiness for an invincible shield.

²⁰His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise.

²¹Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark.

²²And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them.

²³Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty.

¹Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth.

²Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations.

³For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.

Vespers

Wisdom of Solomon — Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15

⁷But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest.

⁸For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.

⁹But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age.

¹⁰He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated.

¹¹Yea speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul.

¹²For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind.

¹³He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:

¹⁴For his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked.

¹⁵This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen.

Matins Gospel

Matthew — Matthew 11.27-30

²⁷All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. ²⁷All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him. ²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Epistle

weekly cycle

2 Thessalonians — 2 Thessalonians 3.6-18

⁶Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

⁶Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us. ⁷For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; ⁷For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; ⁸neither did we eat bread for nought at any man’s hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you: ⁸Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: ⁹not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you, that ye should imitate us. ⁹Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. ¹¹For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies. ¹¹For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. ¹²Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. ¹²Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. ¹³But ye, brethren, be not weary in well-doing. ¹³But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. ¹⁴And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁴And if any man obeyeth not our word by this epistle, note that man, that ye have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. ¹⁵And yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. ¹⁶Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

¹⁶Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

¹⁷The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.

¹⁷The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Epistle

— St Herman

Galatians — Galatians 5.22-6.2

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. ²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. ²⁴And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof. ²⁴And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

²⁵If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk. ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. ²⁶Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

¹Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

¹Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. ²Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. ²Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Mark — Mark 9.33-41

³³And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

³³And they came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way? ³⁴But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. ³⁴But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who was the greatest. ³⁵And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. ³⁵And he sat down, and called the twelve; and he saith unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all. ³⁶And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, ³⁶And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them, ³⁷Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. ³⁷Whosoever shall receive one of such little children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

³⁸John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.

³⁸And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. ³⁹But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. ³⁹But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. ⁴⁰For he that is not against us is on our part. ⁴⁰For he that is not against us is for us. ⁴¹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. ⁴¹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, because ye are Christ’s, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Gospel

— St Herman

Luke — Luke 6.17-23

¹⁷and he came down with them, and stood on a level place, and a great multitude of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judæa and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

¹⁷And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judæa and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; ¹⁸and they that were troubled with unclean spirits were healed. ¹⁸And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. ¹⁹And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. ¹⁹And all the multitude sought to touch him; for power came forth from him, and healed them all.

²⁰And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

²⁰And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. ²¹Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. ²²Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. ²²Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. ²³Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. ²³Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets.