St. Theodore and the miracle of the koliva

For those remembering their loved ones in Church today with an offering of koliva, may their memories be eternal!

Immense is the benefit of the Divine Liturgy, of commemorations for the departed, etc., of course, they are only full of benefit for those who repented, who had some signs of virtues, but did not have the time to knead the bread of virtues due to negligence, indolence and procrastination. For those people, the prayers of the Church and personal prayers, alms, philanthropic deeds, etc., fill up their deficiencies, through the abundance of God’s mercy. St. Mark the Ascetic

St. Theodor Teron and the Miracle of the Koliva

Russian Icon

Published: Exhibition Cataloque: Kunst des Christlichen Ostens,H. Skrobucha, 1986
Hoechst Cat No 179

St. Theodore and the Great Miracle of the Kollyva

In 361, Julian the Apostate was doing his utmost to restore pagan customs. Knowing that the Christians were accustomed to sanctify the first week of Lent by fasting and prayer, the wily tyrant told the Prefect of Constantinople to have all of the food set out for sale in the markets sprinkled with the blood of animals sacrificed to the gods, so that no one in the city would escape the contagion of idolatry. However, the Lord did not abandon His chosen people, but sent His servant Theodore to outwit the tyrant. Appearing in a vision to Patriarch Eudoxius (360-364), the holy Martyr informed him of what was happening and told him to instruct the Christians not to buy food from the markets but instead to eat kolyva made from grains of boiled wheat. Thus, thanks to the intervention of the holy Martyr Theodore, the Christian people were preserved from the stain of idolatry. The Church has commemorated this miracle ever since on the first Saturday of Great Lent, in order to remind the faithful that fasting and temperance have the power to cleanse all the stains of sin.

Saint Theodore the Tryon wrought many other miracles for those who had recourse to him with faith, and who persevered in prayer in his church. One day, shining in glory on his white horse, he appeared to a poor widow and restored her only son who had been captured by Saracens. He often brought the tempest-tossed to safety, thieves to light and runaways back to their masters. In all his miracles, this Roman legionary showed that he had become the heavenly protector of the Christian people.

Orthodox Christian Celebration of the Feast of Saint Theodore The Tyron

The feast and commemoration of Saint Theodore the Tyron is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom which is conducted on the morning of the feast and preceded by a Matins (Orthros) service. A Great Vespers may be conducted on the evening before the day of the Feast. The commemoration of the appearance of Saint Theodore and the miracle of the kolyva is celebrated on the first Saturday of Great Lent each year with a Divine Liturgy and a Memorial Service. This day is the last of three Saturday of Souls observed each year at the beginning of the Lenten season. The faithful bring kolyva and lists of names of friends and family members who have reposed in the faith. The names are read by the priest during the Memorial Service.

(http://www.goarch.org/special/theodoretyre/)(http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/)

Recognize your spiritual poverty

From Abbot Nikon in Letters to Spiritual Children:

My dear one!

You become despondent and lost at the least temptation.  The Lord allows this to happen so that you might discover your weakness and understand how much lies hidden in a person’s soul, and that labor is necessary in order to cleanse oneself of passions, to become the temple of the Living God and to achieve salvation.  When your human frailty becomes apparent to you, then you will fall down before the Lord and from the bottom of your heart cry out to Him, like the Apostle Peter when he was drowning.  Then you will receive the Lord’s help and realize how close the Lord is to those who call out His name from the depths of their heart.  Then you will fall in gratitude at His feet and weep over your sins through which you have grieved the Lord.  Then your heart will be humbled and you will cease accusing others, endeavoring instead to have your past sins forgiven and to avoid future transgressions of the Lord’s commandments.  You will also come to understand the vanity of everything worldly, and how very insignificant is your attachment to this earth, its disputes, its disappointments.  It is not worth becoming dismayed over such things, as they rob you of spiritual peace and even, perhaps, your salvation.

All that is bad—all the passions, the devil’s snares, all misfortunes and sufferings—all these are conquered through humility.  And humility arises through saying to the Lord from the depths of our heart, “I receive the due reward for my deeds.  Remember me, Lord, in Thy Kingdom,” (Luke 23:41).  If we are able to say this in all of life’s circumstances, without grumbling at the Lord or at people, then immediately our burden will be lightened and we will find ourselves on the correct spiritual path.  If we do complain or blame someone for our misfortune, then we must humble ourselves even further and say, Lord, I really am worth nothing, only You can save me.  “If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean,” said the leper who had lost all hope of being healed.  “I will, be thou clean,” said the Lord, touching him, and the leper was free of his affliction.  And so it is with us—if we, realizing the full extent of our feebleness and spiritual poverty, turn to the Lord our only Savior, and from a contrite heart say, “Lord, if You desire it, You can heal and cleanse me,” we will hear the same reply from the Lord, Who suffered for us on the Cross, “I will, be thou clean.”

Our soul will clearly hear this reply and we will receive the strength to bear all of life’s difficulties with thanksgiving, just as the repentant thief bore great sufferings without grumbling, as he remained hanging on the cross until evening.  May God help you to understand this, to humble yourself and give yourself over into God’s hands.  Constantly say, “Lord, may Your holy will be done.  Lord, do with me what You will, just do not allow me to grumble at You, and grant me salvation.”

So far you have only read and heard about spiritual warfare, about tears and suffering of heart.  God is allowing you to discover from experience just where it is you stand.  Will you be able to persevere and bear hardships without murmuring but thinking of the Lord, or will you begin complaining and then—what is worse—sink into despondency?

Decide for yourself.  “Give blood and receive the Spirit.”  The time of childhood is over, it is time to begin the work of an adult.  A contrite and humble heart the Lord will not despise, and, “The snares of the devil do not touch one who is humble,” (from a vision of Saint Anthony the Great about snares.)

If you give in to complaining and begin to blame people and circumstances for your hardships, then you will eventually come to murmur against God and may become totally despondent.  May the Lord preserve you from this!

May the Lord grant you spiritual peace, humility and wisdom, and may He give you patience and strength to carry the burden of both your own passions and of those with whom you come in contact…

This beautiful meditation comes from the book Letters to Spiritual Children published by Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society in New York in 1997.

On acceptable fasting

Fasting is acceptable to God when abstention from food is accompanied by refraining from sins--from envy, from hatred, from calumny, from vainglory, from wordiness, from other evils.  He who is fasting the true fast that is agreeable to God ought to shun all these things with all his strength and zeal, and remain impregnable and unshakeable against all the attacks of the evil one that are planned from that quarter.  On the other hand, he who practices abstention from food, but does not keep self-control in the face of the aforesaid passions, is like unto one who lays down splendid foundations for a house, yet takes serpents and scorpions and vipers as fellow-dwellers therein.  St. Photios the Great

On the value of insults

Nothing is so useful to the beginner as insults.  The beginner who bears insults is like a tree that is watered every day.  Abba Isaiah

Climb upward by descent

More often than not, we ourselves create most temptations when we put our ego within our collaborations with others; that is, when we wish to exalt ourselves.  No one climbs to heaven through worldly ascent, but through spiritual descent.  He who walks lowly, always walks with surety and never falls.  Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos

The salt of the spiritual life

As salt is needed for all kinds of food, so humility is needed for all kinds of virtues.  St. Isaac the Syrian

St. Ephraim the Syrian's Lenten prayer

Lord and Master of my life,
cast away from me the spirit of
laziness,
idle curiosity,
love of power,
and vain talk.

But, grant me, your servant,
the spirit of
moderation
humility
patience
and love.

Yes, Lord and King,
Grant me to see my own faults
and not to judge my brothers and sisters.
For you are blessed unto the ages of ages,
Amen.

This prayer is used throughout Great Lent, at morning and evening prayers, accompanied by prostrations.

May God grant us all a spiritually profitable Great Lent.  Kali Sarakosti!

Pres. Candace