In this month, on the eighth day, the commemoration of the holy magnified apostle and evangelist John, the one leaning on the breast and the lover of virginity, of God the speaker; that is, the gathering of the holy powder that comes out of his tomb, called manna.
The Most Good God and the Lover of people, our Lord, those who worked hard for Him, His holy disciples and apostles, prophets and martyrs, and all those who pleased Him, did not deserve only the Kingdom of the heavens and the eternal favors, but also the places where they shone and were buried, illuminated them with many miracles, showing them full of gifts. Thus also the tomb in which the great apostle and evangelist John of God the speaker was buried, every year springs up and bursts forth without notice on the eighth day of May, from the breath of the Holy Spirit, dust and holy powder that the inhabitants there I call manna. And taking this, those who come there, have it for deliverance from all diseases, for the healing of souls and the health of the body, glorifying God and His servant John, honoring Him.
From the eulogy of Sophronius the patriarch of Jerusalem.
It should be known that the father of the speaker of God was Zebedee, and his mother was Salomi, the daughter of Joseph, the betrothed of the Mother of God. Because Joseph had four sons: Jacob, Simeon, Judah and Joseph, and three daughters: Esther, Martha and Salomi, who was the wife of Zebedee and mother of John the speaker of God. So the Savior was John’s uncle, because he was the brother of Salome, Joseph’s daughter. We should know that at the time when our Lord was sold to the Jews and was crucified, they all fled. But John, as a lover, was present at His sale and crucifixion, and he also came to the tomb with Peter. Then he took the Mother of God into his own. That is why it is said that he had three mothers on earth: first, Salomi, from whom he was born; the second, the thunder, that he was called the son of the thunder; and the third on the Most Holy Mother of God, as the Lord said: . And Ioan took care of her until she fell asleep. Then he came to Ephesus and by his prayer broke down the head of Artemis and saved from error four hundred thousand men and women who served Artemis, and brought them to light. And the mountain on which the church of the speaker of God is located is called Livaton, where Saint Timothy lies towards the west. And Mary Magdalene and the seven young men from Ephesus are in the nearby mountain called Hileon. And Saint Ermione, daughter of Philip, one of the seven deacons, of his four prophetess daughters, lies close to that mountain. And Audactus the martyr and his daughter Calisthena and other martyrs who were bishops: Ariston, Tyranos, Aristobulus and Paul the citizen of the desert. And his celebration is held in his honorable apostolic church, which is in the place called Evdomon.
Also on this day, the commemoration of our pious father Arsenius the Great.
He was from the great city of Rome, being born, raised and guarded from infancy as a pure vessel of God, and full of all divine and human goodness and wisdom. For this he was also ordained a deacon. And when Theodosius the Great ruled the kingdom of the Romans and put a lot of effort, and looking for a spiritual and learned man who would be able to teach his sons the book, especially how God should be honored, he found out about him, and wrote to the emperor Gratian, and to Pope Innocentius, and he could barely get what he wanted. So, Arsenius marching from Rome and arriving at Constantinople, he stood before Theodosius, who saw that he was an honest man in face and nature, and in good order, humble in thought, and adorned with all kindness. And being filled with much joy and sweetness, from then on he honored him as his father, and humbled himself as a teacher. And the senators, seeing it as a great smell, wondered. And he, hating honor and loving God, considered honor as chaff, and desiring a monastic life, he prayed to God every day to fulfill his desire. And immediately he heard a divine voice, which said: “Arsenius, run away from people and save yourself”. So he did not delay, but changing his port, he went and arrived at Alexandria. And becoming a monk, he went to the Hermitage, submitting to all the heavy and arduous party. And praying to God, he again heard a divine voice to him: “Arsenius, run away, shut up, calm down and save yourself”.
Pope Theophilus of Alexandria once asked this great Arsenius, going up to him with others: “Tell us, father, a useful word.” And he said: “If I tell it, will you keep it?” And they said, “So, true.” And he said: “Wherever you hear of Arsenius, do not approach there.”
And again it is said about him that, working all the time of his life, he wore a race patch on his breast to wipe his tears. And he had a wonderful and pious body, gray everywhere, dry and long, even if he was a little hunchbacked from old age, he had a beard down to his belly and an angelic face like Jacob’s. That’s why he doesn’t even want to show his face to anyone. He kept vigil for a long time, standing and praying without bending his knees from evening until sunrise. In this way with the shedding of tears he extinguished the soul-destroying fire. And when he was about to part with the body, for he had reached a deep old age, being almost a hundred years old, his disciples asked him where and how they should bury him. And he said: “Don’t you know how to put a rope around my feet and pull me up the mountain?” And again he said to them: “See, my sons, in what fear I am having to leave the body?” And they said: “We see.” And he said: “Since I became a monk, this fear has by no means disappeared from me.” And immediately he gave his soul to God.
All these words of the pious are found in the Egyptian Pateric, .
Also on this day, the commemoration of the pious Mil the chanter, who peacefully passed away.
Also on this day, the commemoration of the cohort of soldiers who died by the sword.
With their holy prayers, Lord, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Article and photo taken from calendar-ortodox.ro.
