February 26 / February 13

The Venerable Simeon the Myrrh-gusher

Stefan Nemanja, the great ruler of the Serbian people, consolidator of the Serbian lands, creator of the independent Serbian state, defender of Orthodoxy and eradicator of heresy, was first baptized in the Latin Church, but later he left it and entered the Orthodox Church. In the beginning he was dependent on the Greeks with regard to the state, but later he freed himself from this dependence and became completely autonomous. After Stefan had strengthened the state and the Orthodox Faith within the state, he followed the example of his son Sava. He received the monastic tonsure in Studenica Monastery in the year 1195, receiving the name Simeon. His wife Anna withdrew to a women’s monastery, embraced the monastic ton- sure and received the name Anastasija. After two years as a monk in Studenica, Simeon traveled to Athos, the Holy Mountain. There he took up residence in the Monastery of Vatopedi together with his son Sava. Father and son spent their days and nights in prayer. There they built six chapels: to the Savior, the Unmercenary Saints, St. George, St. Theodore, St. John the Forerunner and St. Nicholas. They purchased the ruins of Hilandar and erected a glorious monastery, in which Simeon lived only eight months and then died. When Si- meon was on his deathbed, Sava, according to his father’s wishes, placed him on a simple mat. With eyes directed toward the icon of the Mother of God with the Savior, the blessed elder spoke these last words, Let everything that has breath praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6), and took up his habitation with the Lord, on February 13, 1200.

The Venerable Martinian, monk, of Caesarea in Palestine (422)

The glorious and most wonderful life of Martinian is worthwhile to read in its entirety. What did he not endure just to fulfill the commandments of the Lord? At age eighteen, Martinian retreated to a mountain in Cappadocia called the Place of the Ark, where he lived for twenty-five years in fasting, vigils and prayer, struggling with many temptations. When a woman came to tempt him, Martinian, perceiving that he would suc- cumb to sin with her, leapt into the fire barefoot and remained in the fire until the pain brought tears to his eyes and subdued all lust within himself. When another temptation erupted, Martinian fled to an isolated rock in the sea and lived there. Following a shipwreck, a young woman swam to this rock. Martinian jumped into the sea to avoid any further temptation, but a dolphin rescued him on its back and by God’s providence brought him to shore. Martinian then decided never to make any place his permanent home but to continually travel. In two years, Martinian passed through 164 towns, correcting and counseling the people. He finally reached Athens, where he reposed in the year 422.

Saints Zoe of Bethlehem and the virgin Photina (both 5th )

At first Zoe was a prostitute and a temptress of St. Martinian. When she saw this ascetic leap into the fire to subdue all lust in himself, she bitterly repented. Zoe retreated to a convent in Bethlehem, where, as a faster and recluse, she heroically lived a life of asceticism. Repenting of all her sins, she received from God the gift of working miracles. St. Photina was cast by the winds of the sea onto the island where St. Martinian had iso- lated himself. Martinian immediately fled the island, and Photina remained there in fasting and prayer until her death.

• Timothy, archbishop of Alexandria (385).
• Castor of Karden, hieromonk and missionary (Germany) (ca. 400).
• Modomnoc, bishop of Ossory (Ireland) (6th c.).
• Eulogius, patriarch of Alexandria (ca. 607).
• Joseph, founder of Volokolamsk (Volotsk) Monastery (1515).
• George (Konissky), archbishop of Mogilev (1795).
• New Hieromartyr Sylvester (Olshevsky), archbishop of Omsk (1920).
• Seraphim (Sobolev), archbishop of Bogucharsk, Bulgaria (1950).
• (Greek : Apostle Aquila of the Seventy, and St. Priscilla [1st c.]).

HYMN OF PRAISE

Saint Zoe

Zoe looked at the monk in the fire with horror,
How he burned with neither complaint, nor fear, nor sighing!
With horror and with shame, Zoe repented:
“Oh, what this man does, just to save his soul!”
Bowing and begging forgiveness, she began to weep,
Asking how to resist evil,
To save the soul, and resist evil in the flesh.
The man of God, he too began to weep for joy.
To Bethlehem, to the blessed Paula he sent her:
“Depart woman, save yourself. Go and do not perish,
Blessed Paula will tell you everything else.”
Completely humbled, Zoe departed over the turquoise sea;
Paula received her like a little sister, and instructed her.
Zoe cried, Zoe listened, endured and remained silent.
So twelve summers passed, twelve years.
Sister Zoe became known as an ascetic.
She washed her face with tears, and before her death she asked God—
Has God forgiven her? Has He or has He not?
At that moment a blind woman was led before Zoe’s door:
“Pray that I might see—pray, pray!”
In tears Zoe prayed, and the woman received her sight.
Thus did Zoe know that she was forgiven.
God is glorified through sinners when they repent;
Then, through their miracles on earth, they shine like the stars.