Prologue

February 27 / February 14

The Venerable Auxentius, monk, of Bithynia (470)

Auxentius was a very prominent aristocrat among the noblemen and courtiers at the court of Emperor Theodosius the Younger in Constantinople. Inflamed with love for Christ, Auxentius was tonsured a monk and remained for a short time in Constantinople. When men began to praise him, he fled from their praise and settled on a mountain near Chalcedon called Skopa, which later was referred to as Auxentius’s Mountain. His desire to remain there permanently, hidden from men, was not realized. Some shepherds discovered him and made his whereabouts known. They began to bring the sick to him for healing, and he healed many, restoring sight to the blind and cleansing lepers by anointing them with oil. He also raised the palsied and freed many who were demon-possessed. All of this was cause for amazement, but his humility was cause for even greater amazement. Whenever he was implored to heal someone, he would excuse himself with the words: “I also am a sinful man!” Compelled by many requests, he approached healing in the following manner: He either invited all present to pray to God with him for the sick person, or else he first strengthened their faith and then told them that God would give to them according to their faith, or else he prayed over the head of the sick person: “The Lord Jesus Christ heals you!” He did this so that the act of working miracles would not be attributed to him but rather to God Almighty. He participated at the Fourth Ecumenical Council [Chalcedon, 451] and strongly defended Orthodoxy against the Eutychian and Nestorian heresies. In the year 470, the Lord took his youthful soul in his old age, and his aged body remained in the earth from which it was created.

The Venerable Isaac, Recluse of the Monastery of the Kiev Caves Isaac lived during the time of Saints Anthony and He came to the monastery as a wealthy merchant. He left all and distributed everything to the poor, dedicating himself to the most strict form of asceticism in an enclosed cell. St. Anthony himself passed one prosphoron through an opening in Isaac’s cell every other day. Deluded by demons, who appeared to him in angelic light, Isaac bowed down to them. After that he bowed down before Satan himself, believing him to be Christ. Because of this he became ill and remained ill for two years, after which he regained his health and became a more cautious and experienced ascetic. God bestowed upon him abundant grace before his death. He re- posed in the year 1090.            .

• Cyril, Equal-to-the-Apostles, teacher of the Slavs (869).
• Peter, patriarch of Alexandria (380).
• Maron, hermit, of Cyrrhus (423).
• Abraham, bishop of Charres in Mesopotamia (ca. 423).
• Hieromartyr Philemon, bishop of
• New Martyr Nicholas of Corinth (1554).
• New Monk-martyr Damian of Philotheou and Kissavos, at Larissa (1568).
• Translation of the relics (1578) of Martyrs Prince Michael and his counselor Theo- dore, of Chernigov (1245).
• New Martyr George the Tailor, of Mytilene, at Constantinople (1693).
• Hilarion the Georgian (the New) of Imereti and Mt. Athos (1864).
• Raphael, bishop of Brooklyn (1915).
• New Hieromartyr Onesimus (Pylaev), bishop of Tula (1937).

HYMN OF PRAISE

Saint Auxentius’s Vision of Saint Simeon the Stylite

Auxentius, the adornment of Orthodoxy, One night in mute silence
With tears prayed to God.
He lifted himself up in spirit to heaven,
With flaming wings like those of a Cherubim.
The saint turned his gaze
To the swarm of stars in the heavenly firmament;
The elder looked and began to weep.
The hieromonks asked him To tell them what he saw
And why he had begun to weep.
“My children, hieromonks,
I saw the soul of St. Simeon,
The great Stylite, Simeon,
A pillar of Orthodoxy, a pillar of faith.
This night, the Stylite died;
His soul is ascending to heaven,
Brighter than the stars, a glowing flame.
His soul visited us;
He graciously greeted me, a sinner.”
Many nights passed after that night,
Until the news about the Stylite’s death arrived.
All recognized the truth of the vision
That St. Auxentius had beheld.

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