We celebrate the memory / of Your prophet Haggai, O Lord; / through him we entreat You, / save our souls.
Kontakion — Tone 4
(Podoben: “Today You have shown forth…”)
Enlightened by the Spirit, your pure heart became the dwelling place of most splendid prophecy; / for you saw things far off as if they were near. / Therefore, we honor you, blessed and glorious Prophet Haggai
Wednesday December 29, 2021 / December 16, 2021
28th Week after Pentecost. Tone two.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Prophet Haggai (Aggaeus) (500 B.C.). New Hieromartyrs Priest Vladimir (1918) New Hieromartyrs Arcadius, bishop of Bezhetsk, and Priests Elias, Paul, Theodosius, Vladimir, Alexander, and Peter priests, Martyr Makarius (1937). Venerable Sophia, nun (in the world Solomonia), wife of Grand Duke Basil III (1542). Martyr Marinus of Rome (283). Blessed Empress Theophania of Byzantium (893
The Holy Prophet Haggai
Commemorated on 16 December
The Prophet Aggaeus, whose name means “festive,” was born in Babylon at the time of the captivity Of the Jews. He began to prophesy in Jerusalem after their return thereto, and to admonish the people to rebuild the Temple, in the days of Zorobabel, the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes, King of Persia, about the year 520 before Christ. His prophecy, divided into two chapters, is ranked tenth among the minor Prophets.
The Holy Prophet Aggei (Haggai) – was the 10th of the Twelve Minor Prophets. He was of the Tribe of Levi and he prophesied during the times of the Persian emperor Darius Hystaspis (prior to 500 B.C.). Upon the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity, he persuaded the people to build the Second Jerusalem Temple and he proclaimed, that in this Temple was to “appear the Word Without-Beginning in the finality of times”.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos and Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
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HYMN OF PRAISE
SAINT THEOPHANO THE EMPRESS
From a royal throne, it is better seen:
The vanity of the world, clever vanity,
And the imperial throne is mercilessly struck
By the tumultuous waves of this world.
Theophano clearly examines
The insane, open sea of this world,
And her heart, her troubled heart,
Is firmly anchored to the Living God.
The kings of this world–are they kings?
They are but many sentries on a quick rotation!
Death counts and carries out the change of these sentries–
Kings of the world: passing shadows!
Theophano, like the wise virgins,
The lamp of her heart lit by the spirit,
Illumined the path with a wonderful light,
Happily avoiding the pits of sin.
Now blessed in the Eternal Kingdom,
Among the stars, and shining like one,
Where there is no pain or change,
Theophano now reigns.
REFLECTION
The saints exerted great effort to subdue pride and selfishness in themselves and to accustom themselves to complete obedience and devotion, be it to their superiors when they had them, or to God Himself. The Monastery of St. Sava the Sanctified was distinguished by exceptional discipline, order and unmurmuring obedience. When St. John Damascene entered this monastery, not one of the eminent spiritual fathers would venture to take such a famous nobleman and writer as his novice. Then the abbot handed him over to a simple but strict elder. The elder ordered John not to do anything without his knowledge or approval. In the meantime it happened that a monk died who had a brother in this same monastery. The monk was in unspeakable grief over the death of his brother. For the sake of comforting the inconsolable brother, John wrote stichera for the departed monk–famous hymns that the Church uses even today at the funeral service. After composing them, John began to chant the hymns. When the elder heard the chanting, he became enraged and drove John away. Some of the brethren, hearing of John’s banishment, dared to go to the elder to beg him to forgive John and receive him back, but the elder remained unwavering. John wept bitterly and lamented because he had transgressed his elder’s command. Once again the brethren, on John’s behalf, begged the elder to impose a penance on him and after that forgive him. The elder then imposed the following penance upon his disciple: to clean and wash all the lavatories of every cell in the monastery with his own hands if he desired forgiveness. The sorrowful brethren reported this to John, thinking that he would leave the monastery rather than do this. But when John heard the elder’s message, he rejoiced greatly and with much joy carried out the elder’s command. Upon seeing this, the elder wept, embraced John and said through his tears: “Oh, what a sufferer for Christ have I given birth to! Oh, what a true son of holy obedience this man is!”
CONTEMPLATION
Contemplate the generosity of Abraham (Genesis 13, 14):
1. How Abraham did not want to quarrel with Lot because of the strife between their herdsmen but rather suggested that they separate;
2. How, before parting, he left it to Lot to choose which direction, be it to the left or the right;
3. How Abraham, defeating the King of Sodom, refused the offered goods and would not take even a thread or sandal strap.
HOMILY
on Moses
Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3).
A chosen man, a great wonderworker, a type of the Lord Jesus Christ in his miracles, a victor in Egypt, a victor in the wilderness, the leader of a people–how could he not be proud? But if he had become proud, Moses would not have been all that he was. They become proud who think that they do their own works and not God’s in this world, and who think that they work by their own power and not by God’s power. But the great Moses knew that he was the doer of God’s works, and that the power with which He did them was God’s power and not his. That is why he did not become proud because of the awesome miracles he performed, or the great victories he obtained, or the wise laws that he gave to the people. The Lord is my strength and my song (Exodus 15:2), said Moses. Of the entire assembly of the Israelites in the wilderness, no one felt his own particular weakness as much as he, the greatest one of that assembly. In every task, in every place and in every moment, he expected help only from God. “What shall I do?” he cried to God, and he ceaselessly listened for God’s reply and sought God’s power. “Meek above all men on earth.” For all the others considered themselves as being something, trusted themselves as being something, but he–nothing. He was completely absorbed in God, completely humbled before God. If the people needed to be fed and given drink, he turned to God; if it was necessary to do battle with his enemies, he raised his hands to heaven; if it was necessary to calm an uprising among the people, he cried to God. The meek, the all-meek Moses! And God rewarded his faithful servant with great glory and made him worthy to appear on Mount Tabor with Elias alongside the Lord Savior.
O Lord, the God of the meek, the Good Shepherd, make us also meek like Moses and the apostles.
To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
Kith and Kin Observer 