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The story of the former apostate priest and soldier, and politician Theodore is golden! It shows us that God's mercy is not only greater than our own - it is inconceivable to us! In our difficult days, we must know the exploits of martyrs like Theodore, and ask their prayers. See These saints, with others, whom I suggest you make a prostration before to beg their prayers: http://www.orthodox.net/trebnic/saints-pray-for-us+former-apostates-sinners-secret-christians.docx http://www.orthodox.net/trebnic/saints-pray-for-us+former-apostates-sinners-secret-christians.pdf

Our Holy Father Theodosius was one of the great monastic fathers. You cannot be godly unless you are courageous. This is what we are focusing on today. When the church was troubled by heresy, Saint Theodosius stood up for the truth and had a lot to lose. And he did lose! We need bishops and priests like this. Let’s not make them the only ones responsible! All of us must have courage to stand up against the tsunami of false “truth” that we see even among those who call themselves Christian.

This amazing Saint had in his heart to help save prostitutes. In doing so, he appeared to be frequent client! Of course, there was scandal concerning his behavior, but God’s providence arranged that his overseer was the Holy Patriarch John the Almsgiver, who ignored all complaints. What can we learn from Vitalis’ “crazy love”, and St John’s reaction?

Abba Agathon was a Great Egyptian hermit, but his greatest virtue was his extreme kindness. We can learn from his *FLAGRANT* example.

Metropolitan Philip of Moscow is a saint we should study in our days. We need courage. In our day lies are treated as facts. It takes great courage to stand against the lies whether they be political or social lies or even lies propagated by hierarchs in the church. Metropolitan Philip stood against the lies and the depravity of Tsar Ivan the Terrible and he was deported to a distant monastery and suffocated two years later. There was nothing glorious about is in on this earth but he gained paradise. It is usually this way in the world. We might confront lies and have nothing demonstrable to show because it. Our confession might not be glorious in a worldly sense. Do we have the courage and the wisdom to know when to confront lies?

I saw a quote from actress recently that made me very sad: “I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you.” Her words to illustrate so many things that are wrong with our culture today. She mistakenly called a toxic relationship healthy, likely because she shares with most of society the assumption that people will fornicate, and will use pornography when they cannot fornicate. All of this uncleanness muddles people’s minds and makes them unhappy and insecure.

Martyr Gordius, 01-03. The love of Christ compels a man to give up all earthly honor and even his life. The martyr Gordius was a soldier under Diocletian, and a secret Christian. He was not a coward though. When he saw all of the terrible tortures he was disgusted, and gave up all his military honors and went into the hills to pray. This was not in order to escape death, but rather to prepare for it. Later he made his witness by going bravely in the amphitheater in the middle of a spectacle and rebuking the pagans. The love of Christ makes a man gladly give up on her and even his life. We can learn from his witness, and bake his intercessions in the event that we may be tried.

We can always learn something edifying for our soul from reading the lives of the martyrs. In our difficult days they are “required reading“ for a Christian. They are required reading for Christian. The inspiring story of the new martyr George is about a man who became an apostate so long ago that he had forgotten his own language and customs but in old age he remembered and had a glorious martyrdom. This might happen to you or me or to a friend. Some people lose their way for many years before they are enlightened and come to themselves, as the parable puts it.

On the day of his commemoration (or Jan 3), we talk about a passage from the prophet Malachi (2:1-7)and its application to the modern Christian priesthood. We indeed are “messengers of the Lord Almighty,” but only if we are true priests. We talk about what a true priest is and what he does not. The Old Testament is not obsolete. We talk about how its description of the Jewish priesthood applies to the Christian priesthood. A priest's primary purpose is the same as anyone else’s purpose. He is born to know God. As he struggles to know God and follow the commandments, the grace of ordination helps him to help others to fulfill their purpose. If a priest is not struggling to live a robust inner life, he is almost useless.

Monk martyr Gideon is a perfect saint for our time. When he was yet a boy, he was dealt a terrible blow; he was kidnapped by a Moslem master and forced to convert to Islam. He eventually was a monk on Mount Athos for 35 years and longed for martyrdom. During this time, he read the lives of saints and especially focused on the martyrs who had formerly apostatized like he had. Gideon eventually was able to proclaim his Christianity before the Moslem and endure horrible martyrdom, which he bore without any distress. Through his holy prayers we be delivered from our infirmities, and our lapses and our cowardice. See the list of Holy martyrs that I pray to daily, with a prostration and who formerly apostasized, but by God’s grace came back to a full confession of the faith. (http://www.orthodox.net/trebnic/saints-pray-for-us+former-apostates-sinners-secret-christians.docx, http://www.orthodox.net/trebnic/saints-pray-for-us+former-apostates-sinners-secret-christians.pdf )

Teaching from St George the Chozebite which applies to our day: “Even if someone were able to make heaven and earth anew, but regarded his neighbor with proud contempt, he would labour in vain and his portion would be with the hypocrites (cf. Matt. 24:51). A man cannot approach God unless he is at peace with his neighbor. The sins and passions all have pride as their common source and they lead to death; while obedience and submission to the Lord are life, joy and light.”

NM Athanasios made his glorious witness 01-07-1700, after he was overheard saying something that sounded to the Moslems to be part of their confession of faith. He was therefore dragged before the judge, threatened, imprisoned, tortured, and eventually beheaded. Life isn’t always fair. We should not expect it to be fair. We moderns have this character defect that we expect our politicians and other worldly people to be fair. Let’s stop expecting our society to be fair, and let’s start living true Christian lives, be ready for whatever might happen.