"There is nothing better than peace in Christ, for it brings victory over all the evil spirits on earth and in the air. When peace dwells in a man's heart it enables him to contemplate the grace of the Holy Spirit from within. He who dwells in peace collects spiritual gifts as it were with a scoop, and he sheds the light of knowledge on others. All our thoughts, all our desires, all our efforts, and all our actions should make us say constantly with the Church: "O Lord, give us peace!" When a man lives in peace, God reveals mysteries to him.."
- St. Seraphim of Sarov
Romans 3:19-26 (Epistle)
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Matthew 7:1-8 (Gospel)
1 Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Martyr Julian of Tarsus in Cilicia (3rd-4th c.)
The Holy Martyr Julian of Tarsus was born at Diocesarea in the province of Cilicia. He was the son of a pagan senator, but his mother was a Christian. After the death of her husband, she and Julian moved to Tarsus, where her son was baptized and raised in Christian piety. When Julian reached the age of eighteen, Emperor Diocletian (284-305) began to persecute Christians, issuing a decree that everyone had to offer sacrifice to the idols. If they refused, they would be tortured. Among those arrested was Saint Julian. They brought him before the eparch Marcian to be tried, and for a long time they urged him to renounce Christ. Neither tortures nor threats, nor promises of gifts or honors could convince the devout young man to sacrifice to the idols and deny Christ, and so the holy confessor remained steadfast in his faith.
For a whole year they led the martyr through the cities of Cilicia, everywhere subjecting him to interrogation and torture, after which they threw him in prison. Saint Julian’s mother followed her son and prayed that the Lord would strengthen him. In the city of Aegea, she besought the eparch to let her to visit the prison, ostensibly to persuade her son to offer sacrifice to the idols. When she saw him, she did just the opposite. She spent three days in prison with Saint Julian, exhorting him to remain strong until the end.
Once again, Saint Julian was brought before the eparch. Thinking that his mother had persuaded her son to obey the imperial decree, Marcian tried to convince her to offer sacrifice, but she continued to confess Jesus Christ, and boldly denounced polytheism. Marcian then ordered that her feet be cut off, since she had followed her son from Tarsus.
Then Saint Julian was placed into a sack filled with sand and poisonous snakes, and it was thrown into the sea. The Martyr's body was carried by the waves to the shores of Alexandria. There his body was buried by a certain pious Christian. Saint Julian's death occurred around the year 305. Afterward, his relics were transferred to Antioch.
Saint John Chrysostom honored the holy Martyr Julian with an encomium, and fragments of the Saint's relics are found in the Monasteries of Pantokrator and Saint Panteleimon on Mount Athos.
We pray to Saint Julian to protect gardens and fields from creeping things, snakes, and harmful insects.
How to Seek Inner Peace
by Deacon Haralambos (Charles) Joiner
In the beginning of our spiritual journey we realize that we lack an inner peace, and realize that the way we are seeking to find it only seems to bring more turmoil. We have a feeling that God is distant from us and that our inner being is seeking a peace it cannot find. This motivates us to renew, or even begin for the first time, our search for God, and a deep inner spiritual peace only He can bring. This effort is brought about by our conscience and engages our will to take actions that will help us change our way life.
We seek spiritual books to read, we seek out a spiritual father to teach us the way, and we begin to attend worship services more regularly. With our sincerity in this effort, we are properly guided and encouraged to also actively participate in the sacramental life of the Church, primarily Confession and Holy Communion. We learn about, and begin, the ascetic disciplines of fasting and daily prayer, and learn how to properly prepare to receive Holy Communion regularly.
Through our participation in the Sacraments, our self-knowledge increases, and we become aware of how often we miss the mark in fulfilling God’s commandments. With this increased knowledge we receive the gift of God’s grace, the Holy Spirit, which begins to work from within us.
Saint Theophan the Recluse put it this way:
If all goes well, a man who seeks after God will, upon reflection, decide to give up distractions and a life lived in self-denial, inspired by fear of God and by his conscience. In answer to this decision the grace of God which until now has acted from without, enters within through the sacraments; the spirit of man, previously important, now becomes full strength.
We begin our Christian journey with the insight that we are separated from God and an awareness that our soul seeks an inner peace that only comes from the Holy Spirit working from within our being. We read and get advice from a spiritual doctor, most commonly our parish priest, and begin to nurture our soul through the sacramental life in the Church. We experience this sacramental way of life as the spiritual medicine that brings God’s Grace, Christ Himself, and the Holy Spirit, to grow within us. It is this spiritual force that warms our heart, purifies it, brings us into a closer relationship with God, and develops an unshakable inner peace. We discover that this is a peace that is not disturbed by the trials and tribulations of our earthly life.
Reference: Saint Theophan the Recluse in The Art of Prayer, p 167
This week’s calendar reminders:
Monday 6/16: Matins 8:30 a.m.; Stewards Meeting 6:30 p.m.; Apostles Fast Begins
Tuesday 6/17: no services or events
Wednesday 6/18: no services or events
Thursday 6/19: Matins 8:30 a.m.; FORCC Meeting at CTS 6:30 p.m.
Friday 6/20: Matins 8:30 a.m.
Saturday 6/21: Catechumen Class 4:30 p.m.; Choir Practice 5 p.m.; Great Vespers 6 p.m.
Sunday 6/22: Hours & Divine Liturgy 9:15 a.m.
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Christ the Savior Orthodox Church is located in Southbury, Connecticut, and is part of the New England Diocese of the Orthodox Church of America.
Mailing address: Christ the Savior Church, 1070 Roxbury Road, Southbury, CT 06488
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Fr. Moses Locke can be reached at frmoseslocke@gmail.com